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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, HGV truckers have been under pressure like never before. Smart technology could help to prevent injury and death in the industry and keep supply chains moving.
Driving HGVs requires concentration, skill, and training, especially in built-up and urban areas. According to the UN, every 24 seconds a person is killed in a road traffic accident somewhere in the globe, even though drivers undergo rigorous training in efforts to improve safety standards. This statistic means that around 1 million lives are lost every year across the world to traffic accidents.
The pressure that HGV drivers are under currently due to the shortage can mean that they are more likely to make mistakes, due to human nature. The UN recognises that speed can be a factor in traffic accidents, with measures in place to help to reduce accidents caused by this. However, slow traffic accidents can also sometimes be just as deadly, particularly when HGVs are involved. These accidents can often be caused by blind spots due to the size of the vehicle. It is impossible for HGV drivers to maintain a 360-degree view.
According to research in Britain, HGV drivers are much more likely to be involved in fatal accidents per mile travelled than any other vehicle driver.
How can technology help?
Technology can help to eliminate blind spots. Mirrors have been added as an extra precaution to help to eliminate blind spots, however, a lot of drivers find this tedious as it can be time consuming needing to check each mirror and can also be dangerous as it causes split-second delays.
Many fleet managers are leaning towards opting for fitting onboard safety devices to their trucks and delivery vans. Vehicle CCTV camera systems offer wider viewing angles, while radar detection and ultrasonic sensors can alert drivers to an obstacle even in adverse weather conditions where heavy rain, fog or snow may obscure visibility.
Reversing alarms are another option that many tend to opt for.
These upgrades can be fitted to a vehicle retrospectively and within a matter of hours. This decision could potentially mean the difference between life or death. If you have any questions regarding how Supreme Freight conform to vehicle safety, please get in touch.