How to Ensure the Safety of Your Fleet ?
If you are a fleet owner or manager, you will likely understand just how important it can be to ensure both driver and fleet safety. Ensuring that everything operates as it should, will help to keep costs low and maximise efficiency, and a safety program can be the top way to install best practices in your company. While there is an array of fleet management solutions that can tackle and improve fleet safety across the board, assisted driver assistance systems, typically called ADAS, are quickly becoming an essential tool.
What are ADAS systems in fleets ?
ADAS systems have been utilised in trucks in some form since the 1970s, but innovations in technology have made them more prevalent in modern-day fleets than ever before. Accident avoidance is a crucial part of boosting fleet safety, and ADAS innovations not only lower accident risk while on the road, but also encourage safe driving practices for drivers in all situations. ADAS typically comes in the form of forward collision warnings, blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings and rear cross-traffic alerts, but can also incorporate more actionable solutions like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.
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These installations typically comprise software and hardware, including sensors and cameras, that work together instantaneously for ultimate vehicle safety. For example, lane departure warnings will occur when a truck driver veers too far into another lane. It's quite common for a host of reasons for drivers to go slightly off course, but there are also events, when going too far into another lane can cause serious accidents. ADAS cameras and sensors will send information to hardware and on to the steering wheel, which will vibrate to alert drivers of deviation before it's too late.
Alerts can come in the form of audio notifications such as beeping or physical warnings including haptic feedback, for example, through the steering wheel (as mentioned above). Sometimes there will be visual warnings, such as flashing lights, but these are less common as sounds and physical warnings can be more effective.
If more advanced systems are installed, which are more likely to be aftermarket features as opposed to standard features, ADAS will have the ability to operate breaking systems to automatically slow trucks that may be too close to obstacles, other vehicles, or pedestrians; either by slowing the truck or triggering emergency stops. Some will also have the ability to impact steering wheel functions, such as automatic cruise control or even locking, when the intuitive software deems it necessary for safety.
How can ADAS ensure the safety of your fleet ?
As you can see from the above, ADAS systems have the ability to take and automatically act upon visual information that truck drivers may otherwise not have access to (e.g. higher cabs can cause blind spots). Even at their most basic, they can provide actionable risk notifications as and when unwanted events occur.
The top advantages for truck drivers include :
- Enhanced road safety.
- Improved night vision.
- Reduced driver fatigue.
- Driver assistance in difficult situations, such as parking.
- Better traffic management.
- Increase comfort and convenience while driving.
Top advantages for fleet owners and managers :
- Reduced costs in terms of insurance premiums as well as other areas like fuel consumption.
- Better fleet management.
- Improved company sentiment.
- Minimised human error.
- Enhanced connectivity and integration for fleets (which can also promote accessibility and inclusivity)
Overall, ADAS can reduce human error just as much as they can provide accident avoidance protocols, but they also help to improve the wider driving experience for not only fleet drivers, but all road users.
Key considerations for fleet safety
While ADAS systems have so many features and unique capabilities that can improve road safety, there will of course be some considerations to keep in mind so that safety is prioritised. There are some pitfalls to ADAS installation, such as the fact that drivers can become overly reliant on technology and may begin to drive complacently. This means that it will be the responsibility of fleet owners and managers to train truck drivers and ensure that they are fully informed about what is expected of them in terms of safety protocols. While ADAS systems are designed to be highly functional and secure, there will be instances where malfunctions can occur or sensors or cameras can become misaligned and shift the trajectory of scanned areas. This means that it is also imperative for truck drivers, fleet managers and fleet owners to keep on top of regular maintenance checks and ensure that ADAS calibration meets OEM factory settings, standards and requirements.
It can also be worthwhile to keep in mind that truck drivers will also have a responsibility to ensure that they take the correct action when ADAS systems kick in, without fully relying on them over their own reflexes.
Overall, when using ADAS systems within your fleet, accidents will not only be greatly reduced in severity, but potentially even entirely negated.