FLEET MANAGEMENT
HOW SMART TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP CUT HGV DEATHS AND INJURIES
The global pandemic has put HGV drivers under pressure like never before. How can AI technology help support road safety and keep supply chains moving?
D
riving heavy vehicles is a challenging occupation, demanding skill and concentration whether operating on worksites, built-up urban areas or rural roads.
Despite rigorous driver training and improving safety standards overall, it is a tragic fact that road accidents continue to blight lives across the globe. According to the UN, every 24 seconds, another person is killed in a road traffic crash somewhere in the world. This equates to over one million lives lost annually in road collisions.
A global shortage of drivers entering the commercial trucking sector means that supply chains are under threat when demand for deliveries is increasing. The additional pressure this creates for existing drivers is clear to see. And when drivers feel stressed, human error is more likely to creep in. While the UN rightly sees speed management as a key method of reducing accidents—calling for a 30 km/h speed limit in cities worldwide—accidents at low speeds can also be deadly, especially when involving commercial vehicles such as HGVs and mobile plant.
Often these accidents are caused by blind spots around heavy vehicles, where their sheer size and design make it impossible for drivers to obtain 360 degrees visibility.
Cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians are at particular risk of ‘disappearing’ into a vehicle’s blind spot. The consequences can be devastating. Research in Britain shows that HGVs are much more likely to be involved in fatal accidents per mile travelled than other vehicles.
Eliminating blind spots with technology-driven solutions What can be done to eliminate hazardous blind spots? Extra mirrors have been a traditional solution, but many drivers find them cumbersome. The time it takes to check various mirrors on both sides of the cab can create dangerous split-second delays. Increasingly, fleet managers are opting to fit on- board safety devices to their trucks, delivery vans or construction plant. Vehicle CCTV camera systems offer wider viewing angles, while radar detection and ultrasonic sensors can alert drivers to an obstacle
even in adverse weather conditions where heavy rain, fog, or snow may obscure visibility.
Reversing alarms are another key safety system, with modern iterations such as Brigade Electronic’s award-winning White Sound range offering instantly locatable alarms that cause less noise pollution because they are only heard in the danger zone. Safety upgrades such as these can all be retro-fitted to a vehicle in a matter of hours. The improvement they can make to road safety is incalculable.
Ultrasonic obstacle detection - minimise vehicle damage and maximise road safety
The size of modern commercial vehicles means they are potentially highly dangerous machines, often driving on narrow streets packed with parked cars where there is limited room to manoeuvre. The risk of accidents is even greater at night or in wintry weather conditions, when cameras may struggle to provide a clear picture.
Ultrasonic obstacle detection systems alert the
34 FEBRUARY 2022 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
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