Accident avoidance systems and methods

A method for avoiding accidents involving a host vehicle, comprising:

• determining via a positioning system, the host vehicle's location as the host vehicle travels based on signals received from one or more satellites;
• obtaining a database including data about roadways that a vehicle can travel on, the data including location of edges of the roadways;
• installing the database onboard the host vehicle;
• displaying images on a display visible to an occupant of the host vehicle representing a vicinity associated with the host vehicle;
• displaying on the display a map of the vicinity of the host vehicle based in part on information from the database, the map of the vicinity of the host vehicle being displayed on the display showing a shape of the roadway or edges of the roadway;
• providing a processor residing on the host vehicle;
• coupling the processor to the positioning system;
• determining using the processor, based on data about defined travel corridors, that the host vehicle has deviated from a particular travel corridor;
• and
• activating an alarm in response to determining that the host vehicle has deviated from that travel corridor.

A method for monitoring travel of vehicles, comprising:

• obtaining a database including data about defined travel corridors that a vehicle can travel on, the data including location of edges of the travel corridors;
• determining using a processor, a defined travel corridor on which the vehicle is travelling or approaching;
• displaying on a display, a map of the travel corridor that the vehicle is approaching showing a shape of the travel corridor or edges of the travel corridor;
• determining a location of the vehicle with location determining equipment;
• displaying on the display, an indication of the location of the vehicle in association with the map of a vicinity of the vehicle including the travel corridor that the vehicle is approaching;
• determining using a processor and based on data about the defined travel corridor, that the vehicle has deviated from or is likely to deviate from that travel corridor;
• and
• activating an alarm in response to determining that the vehicle has deviated from or is likely to deviate from that travel corridor to thereby notify an operator of the vehicle of the deviation.