One of the biggest trends in fleet safety right now is Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). These systems advance at a rapid pace and every year new technologies become available such as adaptive cruise control and forward-collision warning. Driver assistance systems aren’t just for consumer vehicles. You can utilize advanced driver assistance systems technology in your fleet in order to reduce accidents, decrease costs, and improve driver safety.
A study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found collision avoidance systems can reduce “if not eliminate crashes, with the majority of fleet managers participating in the study calling for this technology to become standard equipment in the industry.”
ADAS technology is exciting and fast-paced. If you’ve found it hard to keep up with the latest developments in automotive driver assistance systems, look no further. In this article, we will explain what exactly are advanced driver assistance systems. In addition, we will outline the features of the best driver assistance systems and the benefits of ADAS.
What is Advanced Driver Assistance Systems?
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is an extensive category of technologies that enhance fleet vehicle safety via assisting drivers to avoid or prevent accidents when driving and parking. There are multiple types of advanced driver assistance systems. Some take action to prevent accidents and others monitor and alert fleet drivers to safety hazards.
Advanced driver assistance systems utilize advanced electronic technology namely electronic control units, microcontroller units, and power semiconductor devices. Driver assistance systems are powered by highly sophisticated computing, computer vision, edge computing, and artificial intelligence (AI). This computing power enables advanced features such as traffic sign recognition.
The majority of road accidents occur due to human error. ADAS systems are developed to increase fleet safety by reducing human error. ADAS technologies are much more advanced compared to other safety systems. They are capable of identifying, monitoring, and alerting the driver to vehicle hazards in real-time. In some instances, advanced driver assistance systems are able to take control of the vehicle to prevent a collision.
Features of the Best Driver Assistance Systems
Forward Video Monitoring
The ADAS feature forward video monitoring makes use of cameras that face forward and record the road ahead of the fleet vehicle in order to capture live driving footage. This video can be used to reduce dangerous high-risk behaviors, coach drivers, and protect fleet drivers from accidents where they are not at fault.
Blind-Spot Monitoring
One feature the best driver assistance systems have is blind-spot monitoring. It utilizes sensors (or cameras) to detect and alert drivers about objects that are in a vehicle’s blind spot. Generally, sensor-based blind-spot monitors are installed by the vehicle’s original equipment manufacturer while camera-based ones can be installed aftermarket.
Lane Departure Warning
An advanced driver assistance system feature is lane departure warning. It uses laser, video, or infrared sensors to trace lane markings around the fleet vehicle. Lane departure warning systems alert the driver (generally using visual or audio alerts) when the vehicle moves out of its lane (without signaling). Some lane departure warning systems enable lane keeping assist, this extra feature takes control of the vehicle to make sure it stays in its lane.
Collision Avoidance
A broad category of ADAS technologies is collision avoidance. These types of features assist drivers in avoiding accidents. Two effective collision avoidance technologies are automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning. Automatic emergency braking is a feature that applies a fleet vehicle’s brakes to avoid a head-on accident. Forward collision warning calculates the angle, distance, and speed between objects on the road and the fleet vehicle and warns the driver in the event of a potential collision.
Benefits of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Reduce Fuel Consumption
Poor driving habits can cause accidents, higher insurance costs, and even wasteful fuel consumption. Fuel makes up a large portion of a fleet’s costs. Bad driving habits like speeding and hard braking can waste fuel, which adds up in price over an entire fleet. Advanced driver assistance systems can help your fleet in being more fuel-efficient, which will in turn save your company money.
Decrease Accidents Caused by Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a huge issue among the fleet industry. It’s a major cause of accidents and death. ADAS can monitor drivers in the cab and alert them to distracted driving habits. The split-second a driver takes their eyes off the road to check their phone or adjust the radio station increases the chance of an accident dramatically. Advanced driver assistance systems can save your fleet thousands of dollars through avoided collisions.
Generate Insightful Statistics About Your Drivers Behaviors
ADAS can be connected with fleet management software. This allows you to capture valuable data that can provide insight into your fleet. You can scrutinize the routes your vehicles take in addition to their fuel consumption. The combination of advanced driver assistance system and fleet management software lets you identify inefficiencies in your fleet and figure out where you can make adjustments. The data gathered will provide you with a complete understanding of your fleet’s operation.
The 4 Types of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
There are a variety of ADAS for fleet managers to choose from. They can be categorized into four different types of systems: automated, adaptive, monitoring, and warning.
Automated systems have the ability to take over and control the vehicle in the event of an impending accident. Adaptive systems assist fleet vehicles in making small adjustments to drive more safely.
Monitoring advanced driver assistance systems utilize sensors and cameras to highlight data that is critical to safety such as rolling stops, harsh braking, and collisions. Warning systems are automated alerts that assist drivers in foreseeing safety hazards in real-time.
Driver assistance systems are highly effective, but with the addition of ADAS and fleet management software your fleet will thrive. Check out all the amazing technologies and features that Azuga can offer your drivers today.
