Posted: February 2022
Here at Brigade, we are proud to be global leaders in developing vehicle safety technology that improves and maintains road safety standards across the world.
For businesses operating commercial fleets and heavy machinery, safety remains a top priority. With ever-changing road and work safety regulations, vehicle safety devices have become a crucial element in the effort to uphold the highest standards of protection for road users, workers and the general public.
Here, we review some of the latest developments in the world of commercial vehicle technology that will make a positive difference to road and workplace safety in 2022 and beyond.
Artificial intelligence
The latest road safety devices are incorporating artificial intelligence to gather information on objects surrounding the vehicle. Brigade’s next generation of collision avoidance systems, the new Sidescan®Predict, is one such system that has successfully used AI to enhance road safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Sidescan®Predict is able to constantly gather object detection data, such as the speed and distance of a cyclist or other vulnerable road user from the vehicle. Additional technology is embedded within the system to gather information such as the speed, direction, acceleration, and the turning rate of a vehicle. This data feeds an algorithm created by Brigade to calculate the risk of a collision and notify the driver accordingly.
Telematics
Telematics – the process of sending computer-based information – is revolutionizing road safety for everyone and playing a critical role in traffic management. By utilizing a combination of communications and technologies, telematics can provide an insight into a driver’s journey, such as driving conditions or dangerous roads, as well as assistance in the event of an incident.
Electric vehicles
There is no doubt that electric and hybrid vehicles are here to stay, with their benefits including promoting a cleaner environment and providing lower running costs. However, electric vehicles are also notoriously quiet when travelling at low speeds which is a cause for concern for the safety of vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians and those who are visually impaired who might not hear a vehicle in built-up areas.
While it has been a requirement for manufacturers to fit an AVAS system (Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System) to all new electric and hybrid vehicles since July 2021, vehicles registered before this date were exempt. Here at Brigade, we recommend that an AVAS, such as our Quiet Vehicle Sounder, is retrofitted to help enhance and maintain safety and minimize the risks to vulnerable road users.
Remote fleet management
Over the last decade, technology has played a huge role in helping to streamline the fleet management process and improve safety standards. While vehicle CCTV, which has been utilized across a variety of sectors such as public transport, delivery fleets, and emergency vehicles, has been available for many years, improvements in functionality and usability, such as 4G connectivity, are paving the way for a rise in remote fleet management. This is resulting in greater efficiency, reduced costs and enhanced safety for operators.
Brigade’s MDR with BRIDGE is a fully managed 4G service that allows fleet managers to remotely access their vehicle data at any time, including being immediately notified of any incidents. It is likely that these capabilities will continue to evolve in the coming years with more functions being introduced to aid the fleet management process.
For further information about Brigade and our range of commercial vehicle safety products, please speak to one of our friendly team.
