New research commissioned by Brigade Electronics brings to light the drivers behind investing in and installing fleet safety technology. CVW takes a closer look at the findings.
Brigade, who introduced the reversing alarm to the UK back in 1976, has been at the forefront of road safety for over 40 years. Well known for its aftermarket solutions for heavy goods vehicles and mobile plant, the company recently commissioned an in-depth survey of transport operators across a range of disciplines. The aim was quite simple: to get more of an insight into the reasons they use technology on their vehicles, how they have enhanced operations and safety, and what features influence their decisions to invest.
Those surveyed comprised third-party logistics companies and own account operators (80%), with the remainder being made up of public sector, municipal waste and others.
Technology gap
Despite over half of respondents saying that vehicle safety technology had improved driver safety behaviour, and half reporting that they had seen a reduction in insurance premiums, a whopping 32% claimed that they did not have any technology fitted and did not plan to do so in the next year, despite DVS star rating requirements increasing to three stars in 2024.
Out of those responding, 54% said the fitment of camera systems/digital recording had improved driver behaviour.
A total of 50% said safety technology had prompted a reduction in insurance claims, with 32% seeing a drop in incident reporting and 21% seeing evidence of an increase in fuel economy.
Overall the main reasons for the installation of systems were a desire to improve fleet standards, reduce insurance costs, improve driver behaviour and comply with the Direct Vision Standard.
Blind spots
The nearside blind spot is the biggest area of concern for 58% of respondents, followed by the rear blind spot at 20%, and 8% say it is the two feet in front of the truck between the window and ground.
When asked what important features were essential for future camera monitor technology, 65% thought it was important or very important to integrate cameras with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – for example lane departure warning, collision warnings, and pedestrian detection.
Emily Hardy, Brigade’s UK marketing manager commented: “Seeing and analysing the thoughts of industry professionals on road safety is always fascinating and it is good to see, amongst some, a wider adoption of life-saving technology and a better understanding of the benefits.
“However, the results do reveal that there is a long way to go. Aside from the cost saving benefits, the reduction in road collisions is priceless, so it is startling to see there’s still so much education to do in the industry.”
New technology
This insight highlights the importance of developing cutting-edge road safety technology utilising AI, such as Brigade’s Sidescan Predict and Radar Predict.
Sidescan Predict – the latest evolution of Brigade’s ultrasonic technology – uses AI to determine potential collisions and warn the driver with sufficient time for an intervention, whilst also minimising false alerts.
Radar Predict, meanwhile, is one of the most technically sophisticated products in the company’s portfolio and evaluates the behaviour of the vehicle as well as vulnerable road users.
In dangerous situations, it warns drivers with acoustic and visual alarms to avoid a possible collision. It also has the added advantage of only a two-hour installation time.
“This state-of-the-art system combines low cost, ease of installation and performance. The dual radar system uses an innovative combination of technology to detect road vehicles, objects and vulnerable road users to predict if a collision is likely to occur, before instantly alerting the driver to potential dangers,” explained Hardy.
“Our research revealed that safety concerns are clearly a major priority to operators. Our latest range of products help meet that demand and we are proud to do our bit in utilising the latest technology to protect cyclists and other vulnerable road users.”
Brigade believes HGV drivers need a combination of direct and indirect vision and other cutting-edge safety equipment, such as sensor and audio technology, for optimal safety. Currently its portfolio includes ultrasonic obstacle detection, white sound reversing alarms, camera systems, live digital recording devices and artificial intelligence-based systems.
