How innovative vehicle safety solutions are driving real changes in the prevention of accidents.

Lets look at the statistics

The changes to the Highway Code at the beginning of the year reminded us all just how vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders can be and, in turn, it highlighted once again the huge responsibilities Fleet Managers and drivers have when their fleets are out on the road or they’re driving.

It saw Fleet Operators re-visiting their Health & Safety policies, training and equipment to consider whether there were further ways in which they could support the drivers of vans, large commercial vehicles and HGVs who in the ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ are considered to pose the most risk and cause the most potential for harm to others.

Fortunately, collisions between large vehicles and ‘vulnerable’ people are very low; however, when they do occur, the resulting injuries can be serious or even fatal. An analysis by PACTS, of road deaths in Great Britain in 2019, illustrated the danger associated with different modes of transport and the total deaths involved with travel by each mode. It showed that, by distance travelled, vans and light goods vehicles, followed by HGVs, have the highest rate of deaths of other road users. In 2019 there were 51 deaths to pedestrians caused by HGVs, as well as 12 deaths to cyclists.

With continued changes in how we live, from more people shopping online resulting in increased deliveries, to council led initiatives to get more people walking and cycling both for health, well-being and environmental considerations, organisations have to continuously be looking at what they can do to prevents accidents and incidents and protect both the general public and drivers.

Drivers are often required to drive in highly populated areas where their responsibilities to protect pedestrians and cyclists is significant, in addition to there also being a need to look after their vehicle and whatever is being transported. However, it is something that the best organisations will be only too aware of and will have ways to support their drivers in sharing the burden.

What can you do?

Fortunately, there is already a range of vehicle safety solutions in the marketplace which assist drivers in detecting, and therefore protecting, vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders. From simple devices such as blind spot mirrors to more sophisticated kit which has been introduced in recent years as a result of advances in technology.

Popular safety systems include 360 degree cameras, which provide drivers with multiple viewing options when selecting reverse gear and left or right indicators. With multiple ultra-wide angle HD cameras mounted to each side of the vehicle, they provide drivers with crystal clear camera images which are cleverly stitched together, resulting in a birds eye view all around the vehicle.

But that’s not all! In addition, there are now some innovative devices being launched which will be vital in the prevention of incidents and accidents. Two such innovations are available from the Parksafe Group and these are a Pedestrian Detection Camera & Monitor Kit and Driver Monitoring System.

How we can help improve the safety of your fleet

Parksafe’s new AI Intelligent Pedestrian Detection system is for use at the outer roofline of the vehicle. It eliminates blind spots and cleverly detects pedestrians, providing drivers with audible & visual warnings of pedestrians or cyclists on the road. Drivers are given clear distances by measurement and colour codes (red, amber & green) which are displayed on the cab monitor. This will allow for the driver to gain more reaction time and to make a decision based on the colour coding, thereby also allowing the driver to have more awareness and confidence in congested areas.

The Pedestrian Detection camera can be used as a single camera or with a multi camera system and is ideal for use on coaches, HGV’s and plant vehicles. The AI Detection system can also be fully integrated with Parksafe’s On Demand Website platform, which gives you the ability to remotely view live footage, download footage remotely and track your vehicles location.
Parksafe Group’s Driver Monitoring System (DMS) can help monitor and alert the driver when drowsiness or distraction is detected. Capable of fatigue detection, distraction detection, phone call detection, smoking detection and no driver detection, this kit can make a real difference to improving driving safety. What’s more, when used in conjunction with Parksafe’s Live Connect On Demand Platform it can increase driver safety by informing the Fleet Manager remotely of alerts, which means that the Fleet Manager can check on their driver to ensure they are okay. The camera is mounted in a specific point on the dash that gives full view of the driver but does not obstruct their view of the road.

The Parksafe Group offer full solutions for Fleet Operators wishing to raise the level of quality within their fleet operations – increasing visibility, preventing accidents and improving the safety of the general public. With high quality/specification cameras, monitors, audible alarms and ultra-sonic side sensors, these can be combined to produce the ideal system, whether for safety, FORS, CLOCS or DVS compliancy, or to meet other operational requirements. You can find out more information here.