Transversal safety from sport, cycling and hiking first and foremost, to the world of motorbikes and cars. For Garmin, a company specializing in GPS applications – think of smartwatches but also of devices for excursions in the mountains or at sea – 2024 will also be a year of investments in the topics of safety and prevention.
Sara Cesarotti, head of marketing & communication at Garmin Italia, explains: «Safety is a theme that is part of our DNA and is central to all the sectors in which we operate. The idea is always to allow users, whether they are cyclists, outdoor enthusiasts, hikers or motorcyclists, to carry out their activities as best as possible while limiting risks. The devices we design and develop are born with this precise objective.” Perhaps the best-known example is the InReach satellite communicator. Compact and portable, it allows trekkers to be reachable anywhere in the mountains even where there is no coverage (and the smartphone becomes unusable). The market for these solutions is growing. Just think that in ten years there have been over 10 thousand requests for intervention and rescue made using this device. In 2022 alone, 5 thousand models were sold.
Road safety: from cycling to cars
Safety innovations also concern cycling. «We have developed solutions to increase safety on the road also given the boom in bicycle use in urban contexts after the pandemic», adds Cesarotti. The example is the Varia Rct715, among the latest representatives of the Varia ‘family’, which Garmin presented for the first time in 2016. In fact, an integrated camera that records images and videos behind the cyclist, saving them and making them viewable in case of accident. An innovation similar to Garmin dash cams for cars, used by taxi drivers and in fact potential eyewitnesses.
Technology has also made wearable devices potential life-saving tools. For example, wireless cycle computers for bikes feature the Incident detection function which, in the event of an accident, allows the device to immediately send an SMS message to emergency contacts. Another important function is the Live Track which tracks the cyclist’s activity, always reporting the position.
«We also work a lot on the prevention culture front with a pragmatic approach. These are devices that can really make a difference in the event of danger, think of an accident or a fall, speeding up rescue operations. However, they must be known”, underlines Cesarotti.
