Everything You Need to Know About Collision Avoidance Technology

In 2019, there were approximately 500,000 large truck accidents in the US. Every fleet manager wants to cut that number as much as possible. Thankfully, there is technology available to help drivers tackle challenges on the road, prevent accidents, and keep fleets safe.

The benefits of investing in accident prevention technology are clear. The more accidents that are prevented or minimised, the safer roads become. Plus, fewer accidents means higher savings: fleets can save money on repairs and insurance premiums.

But to take advantage of this technology, you need to understand it. Here’s what you need to know about collision avoidance tech, how it works, and what it can do for your fleet.

Driver Safety Technology Terms

There are a lot of terms to be aware of when it comes to tech that makes vehicles safer: ADAS, collision avoidance, and crash detection, to name a few. They each refer to slightly different things, but they all use technology to prevent accidents or minimise the worst of their effects.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) assist drivers by monitoring potentially risky things on the road. ADAS is made up of several subsystems, one of which is collision avoidance.

Collision avoidance, like its name suggests, is a technology that detects possible crashes and alerts drivers with warnings when its sensors are triggered.

Crash detection converts the information from a crash into usable data. It can send information about a crash to proper channels in order to share your location, call for assistance, and notify nearby drivers.

How does it work?

The average truck driver logs 80,000-110,000 miles per year. A lot can happen in 100,000 miles — from inclement weather to sudden standstill traffic. It can be difficult for a human being to react quickly enough to prevent every incident. But there is technology available to give drivers extra help.

A collision avoidance system, or CAS, is a system that works by using radars, sensors, cameras, or even lasers to detect if and when a crash is about to happen. It uses this information to alert the driver with a warning. It can even deploy brakes for the driver. It also has a few different names, such as a pre-crash system or a driver assistance system.

Best case scenario, CAS technology can help avoid car accidents altogether. But in the real world, accidents still happen, and CAS can help make them less severe. For example, rear-ending the car in front of you will be much less catastrophic if you have time to brake instead of colliding at full speed.

Collision avoidance systems have different locations on vehicles that perform specific functions. Some automakers are also creating their own systems that incorporate a few of these features, like Honda’s trademarked Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS).

• Forward collision warning (FCW): A forward collision warning system constantly scans the road ahead for potential hazards. If a driver is coming up too close to an obstacle, such as another vehicle, it will provide a warning.
• Automatic emergency braking system (AEB): Forwarding collision warning systems are designed to give warnings, whereas automatic braking systems go one step further to deploy brakes in imminent crash scenarios. It is especially helpful in reducing speed when vehicles are going too fast and approaching an obstacle.
• Blind spot warning (BSW): Similar to forward collision warning, this system uses radars, cameras, or sensors to detect if a vehicle is coming up from the sides and is especially helpful in constantly monitoring driver’s blind spots. This is also often synced to the turn signal and gives an auditory warning if drivers have activated their turn signal when a car is in the other lane.

Benefits of IoT and Collision Avoidance

While we tend to focus on the worst crashes, the reality is there are fender benders, sideswipes, and other minor accidents happening every day. Over time, these small accidents can get very costly for fleets. Collision avoidance systems are one way to help prevent minor accidents.

One unexpected bonus? Many insurers offer lower rates to fleets with collision avoidance technology.

For now, IoT tech has direct benefits for individual fleets. But in the near future, when more organisations adopt and link their IoT solutions, there will be even greater benefits. An IoT-Intelligent transport system, for example, uses IoT to automate air, land, and transportation. Systems like this will play a big role in the future of logistics. Communication between vehicles to avoid crashes, detect crashes, and update traffic alerts will be heavily supported by IoT and will continue to advance roads into smarter and safer environments.

KORE Fleet is an expert in IoT for fleet safety. By helping fleet managers connect IoT-driven solutions to a telematics platform, KORE is part of a safer, more efficient future for fleets everywhere.

Learn more about fleet insurance in our latest ebook, "Fleet Risk Insurance and IoT Solutions".