For fleet operators, the consequences of a collision can be devastating. More importantly, when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, colleague or site operative, the consequences can be life-changing.
Traditional safety measures, including reversing alarms, mirrors, cameras and banksmen, all play an important role. However, they share one fundamental limitation: they ultimately rely on somebody recognising a hazard and reacting in time.
What happens when they don’t? This is the challenge that DAB Technologies, formerly Doctor Air Brake, has been addressing through its ReverseSmart radar autobraking technology.
ReverseSmart represents a different approach to commercial vehicle safety. Rather than simply warning the driver that an obstruction is present, the system has the ability to intervene and bring the vehicle to a controlled stop.
At its core is advanced 77GHz radar technology, continuously monitoring a programmable detection zone behind the vehicle. When a person, vehicle or object enters that zone, the driver receives audible and visual warnings inside the cab.
If the driver fails to react and the risk increases, ReverseSmart automatically activates the vehicle’s service brakes, bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop without requiring driver intervention.
This is a fundamental difference between conventional warning systems and active safety technology. ReverseSmart doesn’t simply tell the driver that something is behind the vehicle; it can take action to prevent a collision.
The system uses controlled, pulsed service braking rather than applying the parking brake, helping deliver a more progressive stop while avoiding the potential mechanical complications associated with using the parking brake as an emergency stopping method.
T 01785 714447
john.grindey@air-brake.com
www.air-brake.com