Between 2004 and 2013, road freight transport in the EU increased by around 60%. But while heavy trucks accounted for 11% of Europe’s vehicles, they were also responsible for 15% of road traffic accident deaths.
There has been much speculation about why this is the case. I imagine size clearly plays a part, but so too does the complex coexistence between trucks and cars on our roads. And let’s not forget the tendency to blame the larger vehicle in the event of an accident (regardless of whether the truck driver was to blame or not).
Whatever the reason, I know I’m not alone in saying something needs to change.
Road transport is the backbone of freight logistics and the number of trucks is going to keep rising. The question is what can fleet services do to reduce the number of avoidable collisions?
Advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, incorporate sensing technology to monitor – and take action to avoid – crashes. The technology also leverages key environmental information to decrease fuel consumption.
In other words, it helps truck drivers stay safe and drive efficiently.
Today’s ADAS technology incorporates forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and speed limit recognition. It is able to monitor what is happening around the truck as well as giving truck drivers notification when they are approaching ‘trouble zones’.
As they grow in popularity among fleet services around the world, we are seeing ADAS as a standard feature in new trucks. Plus, they can be retrofitted into older trucks as well.
I’ll admit, I’ve never been great at accepting help, but I’ll take all the help I can get if it makes me a better truck driver.
What do you think? Truck drivers have a demanding job. Is ADAS improving road safety as much as the tech companies claim?