Technology for providing real-time route safety and risk feedback

1. A computer-implemented method, carried out by one or more processors, of providing near real-time route safety information, the method comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, a request for a desired destination for vehicular travel;

accessing, by the one or more processors, historical route data for a plurality of potential travel routes to arrive at the desired location, the historical route data corresponding to one or more comparable areas near the plurality of potential travel routes;

accessing, by the one or more processors, near real-time route data for the plurality of potential travel routes;

determining, by the one or more processors, a risk index, wherein the risk index is a comparison result of the historical route data and the near real-time route data and is representative of how prone the one or more comparable areas are to collisions; and

presenting, by the one or more processors, at least one travel route for the vehicle based on the calculated risk index.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the one or more processors, a desired travel route from the at least one presented travel routes; and

presenting, by the one or more processors, the desired travel route to a device to facilitate routing of the vehicle according to the selected travel route, wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile device, an on-board computer, or a navigator.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

periodically accessing, by the one or more processors, the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route;

calculating, by the one or more processors, an updated risk index based on the historical route data and the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route; and

presenting, by the one or more processors, updated risk information for the selected desired travel route.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, via a transceiver and via wireless communication or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links or wireless communication channels, the selected travel route to a device to facilitate routing of the vehicle according to the selected travel route, wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile device, an on-board computer, or a navigator.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the historical route data comprises at least one of historical traffic data, historical accident data, and neighborhood data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the near real-time route data comprises at least one of near real-time traffic data, near real-time road engineering data, and near real-time incident data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of an automobile, a self-powered machine, and a manually-powered machine.

8. A server configured to reduce vehicle collisions, the server comprising:

a memory configured to store non-transitory computer executable instructions; and

a processor configured to interface with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

receive a desired destination input for vehicular travel;

access historical route data for a plurality of potential travel routes to arrive at the desired location, the historical route data corresponding to one or more comparable areas near the plurality of potential travel routes;

access near real-time route data for the plurality of potential travel routes;

calculate a risk index, wherein the risk index is a comparison result of the historical route data and the near real-time route data and is representative of how prone the one or more comparable areas are to collisions; and

present at least one travel route for the vehicle based on the calculated risk index.

9. The server of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

select a desired travel route from the at least one presented travel routes; and

present at least one travel route for the vehicle based on the calculated risk index.

10. The server of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

periodically access the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route;

calculate an updated risk index based on the historical route data and the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route; and

present updated risk information for the selected desired travel route.

11. The server of claim 8 , further comprising:

a transceiver coupled to the processor, the transceiver configured to communicate via a wireless communication or data transmission over one or more radio frequency links or wireless communication channels, wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the selected travel route to a device to facilitate routing of the vehicle according to the selected travel route;

wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile device, an on-board computer, or a navigator.

12. The server of claim 8 , wherein the historical route data comprises at least one of historical traffic data, historical accident data, and neighborhood data.

13. The server of claim 8 , wherein the near real-time route data comprises at least one of near real-time traffic data, near real-time road engineering data, and near real-time incident data.

14. The server of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises at least one of an automobile, a self-powered machine, and a manually-powered machine.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a set of computer readable instructions for reducing vehicle collisions that when executed by a processor configure the processor to:

receive a desired destination for vehicular travel;

access historical route data for a plurality of potential travel routes to arrive at the desired location, the historical route data corresponding to one or more comparable areas near the plurality of potential travel routes;

access near real-time route data for the plurality of potential travel routes;

calculate a risk index, wherein the risk index is a comparison result of the historical route data and the near real-time route data and is representative of how prone the one or more comparable areas are to collisions; and

present at least one travel route for the vehicle based on the calculated risk index.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to

select a desired travel route from the at least one presented travel routes; and

present at least one travel route for the vehicle based on the calculated risk index.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

periodically access the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route;

calculate an updated risk index based on the historical route data and the near real-time route data for the selected desired travel route; and

present updated risk information for the selected desired travel route.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , that when executed by a transceiver, configure the transceiver to:

transmit the selected travel route to a device to facilitate routing of the vehicle according to the selected travel route;

wherein the device comprises at least one of a mobile device, an on-board computer, or a navigator.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the historical route data comprises at least one of historical traffic data, historical accident data, and neighborhood data.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one of a number of expected collisions, a number of observed collisions, or a number of near real-time events occurring on the route contribute to the risk index.