Vodafone Group unveiled its latest automotive play, an open platform designed to connect a range of in-car systems and transport authority infrastructure to improve safety and communication on roads in Europe.

The operator stated the Safer Transport for Europe Platform (STEP) was compatible with all in-vehicle navigation systems and third-party map apps, alongside transport authority systems containing a range of information including hazard warnings and traffic updates.

STEP is designed to address issues of information silos and data fragmentation Vodafone claims limit the benefits connectivity can deliver to road safety.

Vodafone plans to use STEP within its own automotive-related apps and is collaborating with several partners to widen access.

The company noted the cloud platform was built on open standards in an attempt to allow a wide number of participants to collaborate and ultimately improve road safety in Europe.

It is working with automotive players, road operators, transport authorities, app developers and other partners on use cases.

“Improving road safety is still a major challenge for Europe,” Vodafone Group chief external and corporate affairs officer Joakim Reiter said, adding. “We believe that open platforms for faster, more efficient data sharing can play a significant role in helping prevent the unnecessary fatalities and injuries happening on our roads each year.”