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Each morning fleets of garbage, recycling, and yard waste trucks travel the streets and alleyways of our communities. When it comes to these trucks, depending on the job, the driver is on the right or left side of the cab. Having to drive on both sides means drivers have to be ambidextrous in their understanding of their trucks' operating from all angles.

Many people who drive for work are continuing to leave their homes to ensure that essential supplies and services reach those in need during this difficult time. Unfortunately, trucker fatalities have been on the rise for a number of years, and with a higher demand being put on fleets during the current crisis we are facing globally, the use-case for safety suites has continued to spread. Now customers are demanding OEMs offer safety systems, or they may take their business elsewhere.

ADAS, or Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems, are developing rapidly and in several stages. ADAS is not autonomy; by definition, it is Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems while autonomous vehicles have systems that are designed to completely control a vehicle in most or all situations.

New York’s city streets saw a historically deadly year for cyclists in 2019, with pedestrian fatality numbers not far behind. And only recently was a bicyclist killed in Brooklyn. To solve this issue, NY Council Members call for life-saving sensors to be put on trucks and other commercial vehicles so drivers can see and avoid hitting Vulnerable Road Users (VRU).

As fleets continue to grow, effective safety solutions that are easy to operate and built to retrofit are integral to preventing incidents and minimizing downtime — all essential for the management, safety, and maintenance of fleets. Not only in terms of keeping both the public and drivers safe, but also in terms of controlling costs related to insurance and liability, unplanned downtime, and maintenance. Furthermore, improved fleet safety can lead to increased driver efficiency, return on investment, and higher overall productivity. All of which depend on the installed system and your fleet service technicians.

On Sunday, November 10^th, the Idaho Statesmen published, “Cars overtaking bikes big cause of cyclist deaths,” a story detailing the growing safety concerns for vehicles overtaking cyclists. According to the author, David Lightman, in 2017, 806 cyclists died in incidents with vehicles nationwide, and in 2018 the death toll jumped to 857. “Three cyclists died in crashes with motor vehicles in Idaho in 2017, according to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). Also that year, a cyclist was injured in a crash every 40 hours ITD said,” Lightman wrote in his article.

As automotive technology gradually advances towards autonomy, it is of the utmost importance that automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM's) pay special attention to Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) in future product development. The classification of "Vulnerable" describes individuals who are at increased risk due to the lack of a "shell" (protective structure), task capability, resilience, and velocity. These individuals are then subdivided into mode-of-transport and age. Children, the elderly, and the disabled are at the highest risk because of their low task capability and, in some cases, lower physical resilience.

In recognition of innovation, dedication and best practices, we are now accepting nominations for the ninth annual Excellence in Safety Award. Recognizing the outstanding achievements of safety professionals each year, the Excellence in Safety Award honors those who educate, support, and take action to improve safety on and off the worksite.

In Part 1: An Increasingly Distracted World, you were asked to confront your ‘familiarity’ with your environments. A familiarity may cause any one of us to relax and lower our defenses while working with or around heavy-duty machinery. Reflecting on these three questions can help peel back the layers:

Each day safety technologies enter the innovative race to bring on-and off-road industries the safety solutions of the future. The public is invested in safety and companies flourish when they follow best safety practices. People want to know what accounts for good safety technology and how it’s implemented to promote efficiency. Despite this strong interest in safety technology, drivers are hesitant to adopt solutions that monitor their actions or take control of operations at any level.