How to Ensure the Safety of Your Fleet?
If you are a fleet owner or manager, you likely understand the importance of ensuring both driver and fleet safety. Ensuring that everything operates as it should helps keep costs low and maximizes efficiency, and a safety program can be the top way to install best practices in your company. While there are various fleet management solutions that can tackle and improve fleet safety across the board, assisted driver assistance systems, commonly known as ADAS, are quickly becoming an essential tool.
What are ADAS systems in fleets?
ADAS systems have been used in trucks in some form since the 1970s, but advancements in technology have made them more prevalent in modern-day fleets than ever before. Accident avoidance is a critical aspect of improving fleet safety, and ADAS innovations not only reduce the risk of accidents on the road but also promote 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 include more actionable solutions like adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.
These ADAS installations typically consist of software and hardware, including sensors and cameras, that work together instantaneously to ensure ultimate vehicle safety. For instance, lane departure warnings will occur when a truck driver veers too far into another lane. It's quite common for drivers to go slightly off course for various reasons, but there are also events where going too far into another lane can lead to 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). Visual warnings, such as flashing lights, 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 rather than standard features, ADAS will have the ability to operate braking 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 shown above, ADAS systems can 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.
- Increased 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.
- Minimized 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 many features and unique capabilities that can improve road safety, there are also considerations to keep in mind to ensure safety remains a priority. One potential pitfall of ADAS installation is that drivers can become overly reliant on the technology and may begin to drive complacently. Therefore, it is the responsibility of fleet owners and managers to train truck drivers and ensure they are fully informed about 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 makes it imperative for truck drivers, fleet managers, and fleet owners to keep on top of regular maintenance checks and ensure ADAS calibration meets OEM factory settings, standards, and requirements.
It's also important to note that truck drivers have a responsibility to take the correct action when ADAS systems kick in, without solely relying on them over their own reflexes.
Overall, using ADAS systems within your fleet can greatly reduce accident severity and potentially even entirely eliminate accidents. However, it's crucial to keep in mind the potential pitfalls and take necessary measures to maintain safety.