Does Your Fleet Need An Advanced Driver Assistance System?
The automotive industry continues to respond to consumer demand for enhanced safety features in an ongoing quest to develop more secure, automated vehicles and a safer driving experience for the people who operate them. The race to develop smarter, safer personal transportation has taken us from seatbelts to self-driving cars; it would seem the finish line is somewhere on the horizon.
In the latest iteration of safer driving, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have taken car manufacturing by storm, enabling vehicles to detect, correct and protect while in a driving environment. Mirrors and windows have been augmented — and in some cases replaced — with camera-based technology that helps both vehicle and driver react and respond to stimulus on the road.
What Are ADA Systems And How Do They Work?
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems use cameras to quickly and accurately detect and recognize all attributes on the road, including vehicles, pedestrians, traffic signs, lane lines and obstacles. Cameras are positioned outside the vehicle on the front, back and sides to capture images of the road, street signs, pedestrians, vehicles, etc. The images captured by the cameras are analyzed by supporting software and triggers a vehicle response to improve safety, such as emergency braking, blind spot alerts, helping park the vehicle, or driver alertness.
A Worthwhile Expense
Although ADA innovation has exploded in popularity, rolling out the technology on a large scale can be cost-prohibitive, particularly with smaller fleets. Getting these systems into more factory-built vehicles is not only expensive, but requires different levels of compliance and safety standards.
Nonetheless, studies point to a reduction of traffic accidents as the result of ADA Systems. According to recent research from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, “ADAS vehicles showed a 27% reduction in bodily injury claim frequency and a 19% reduction in property damage frequency.”
They also limit the number of insurance claims due to accidents in which there is property damage but no sustained injuries. Clearly, an ADA System is a cost-saving – and life-saving – asset that can’t be ignored.
What To Look For In An ADA System
While fleet managers don’t have their sights set on autonomous driving just yet, there is inherent value in a truck’s ability to “see” and analyze its environment. An ADA System equips your drivers with enhanced visibility on the road while positively impacting road behaviour. Here are a few of the things to look for before making a purchase decision.
Exceptional cameras: The key to a reliable ADA System is using top-tier cameras. Simply put, better cameras can better recognize their environment and send data to the software, which can then initiate a faster response. What makes a better camera?
High Image Quality: Cameras should have high resolution, which allow greater levels of detection in all kinds of lighting and weather conditions and across all automotive operating temperatures. This affords the software greater, faster accuracy when interpreting data.
Customization: There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to fleet safety. Modular camera solutions enable fleet companies to choose from a selection of sensors, cameras and image sensor processors (ISPs).
Automated features: ADA Systems help avoid collisions by using technology to alert drivers to potential hazards or take over control of the vehicle to avoid such danger. This safety enhancement improves driving within your fleet, and among the greater population.
Adaptive features: Your ADAS should have adaptive features that incorporate navigational warnings to alert drivers to potential dangers, such as vehicles in blind spots, lane departures, automated lighting, adaptive cruise control, and pedestrian crash avoidance mitigation (PCAM).
Reputable affiliations: Your ADA System supplier should have unfettered access to strategic automotive-focused partners, enabling you to leverage cameras with next-generation human-technology-interfacing for the safest, most accurate driving experience possible.
Conclusion
With the number of options available on the market, it can be hard for fleet managers to know which ADA System will work best in their vehicles. Furthermore, it can be a challenge to train drivers to use them to their fullest advantage.
Modern ADA Systems contain some of the most sought-after safety features for drivers, fleet managers and organizations. Talk to your GoFleet representative about what’s coming up for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, and how we can help you promote safety and awareness on the road.