Trucking safety technology is evolving. Risk Control Transportation Specialist Anthony Slamar at Northland Insurance, recently appeared on an episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!? to highlight the growing role of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and how they can help to improve fleet safety.
Slamar notes the technology is a package of safety features designed to help drivers monitor their surroundings. ADAS operates on various sensors, including vehicle alerts designed to take corrective action if a driver fails to react.
The main features of a modern ADAS include pre-collision assistance, lane control technology and blind spot monitoring. More advanced features include driver monitoring systems, with some designed to determine if a driver is fatigued or distracted. The list of features is expected to grow as the technology advances: “Keep in mind these systems are still evolving and emerging; there’s going to be renewed development as time goes on,” Slamar said.
The rise in nuclear verdicts resulting from trucking crashes continues to grow, creating additional pressure for fleets to adopt new safety technologies.
“Roughly 30% of accidents are going to be rear-end collisions. Another 30% are going to be lane change or merging accidents; [these] are two things that these systems are really trying to address,” Slamar said.
In addition to helping reduce costs, implementing ADAS can present an opportunity to improve driver safety for fleets. Slamar notes, however, that safety technology cannot replace a fleet’s safety culture or the value of driver experience. “At the end of the day, we still have to understand that the most important safety feature in a vehicle and in these trucks is the driver,” he said. “ADAS does not replace good safe driving techniques.”
Change management for fleets integrating these new technologies must center on the benefits and limitations of the systems. One challenge Slamar notes is that these technologies are not 100% accurate. For example, a distracted driver may not be able to react in time when an ADAS warning is conveyed. Fleet strategy must not only cover how to use ADAS, but also should include an effective distracted-driving policy and a fleetwide safety program to help address the potential limitations of emerging safety technologies.
Driver onboarding and training in safety systems are also important. Slamar noted that fleets can face challenges with driver adoption and identifying drivers who attempt to disable the systems. Complexity is another hurdle fleets must address to realize the full benefits of ADAS technology. Depending on tractor or sensor make and model, there can be multiple operating manuals and system tutorials, placing additional strain on driver training programs that lack a well-thought-out strategy before deployment.
Practical applications of the technology are also benefiting drivers.Customers particularly note the blind spot monitoring as beneficial, given the size of tractor-trailers and ever-present risks when changing lanes.
For fleets looking to become ADAS adopters, there is the potential for greater savings as trucking insurance companies and OEMs develop policies and systems to keep drivers and fleets safer.
To learn more about Northland Insurance Risk Control and trucking safety, visit www.northlandins.com.
