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SECTION 1
The
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NHTSA, is in the
process of formulating mandates for backup safety systems for trucks and
industrial vehicles. It has published its preliminary evaluation of two
different types of vehicle backup safety systems: mirrors and cameras. It is
understood that when working properly, they can help. The following sums up
the problems they found with these two possible methods of reducing
casualties and property damage caused by vehicles backing up.
Mirrors:
1)
Easily broken (e.g. by road debris), stolen, shaken out of adjustment.
2)
Poor in rain and snow and can get dirty easily, compromising visual clarity.
3) Do not work well on trucks longer than 16.4’ because of the distance between the driver’s door mirror and the mirror(s) mounted at the rear of the truck would make the images too small and distorted.
4)
Not very good at representing distance or closing speed.
Cameras:
1)
Expensive
2)
Easily knocked out of adjustment (i.e. not pointing in the right place
anymore).
3)
Vulnerable to shaking (blurry, distorted view)
4)
Cannot be mounted on many vehicles, especially in industrial environments.
5)
Can be bulky- and obstructive.
6)
Screen that is large enough to be easily seen is obtrusive for a crowded
truck cab.
7)
Screen visibility (color contrast) is an issue, e.g. depending on daylight.
8)
Easily stolen/vandalized.
9)
Not very good at representing distance or closing speed.
10)
Has problems with inclement weather and darkness.
SECTION 2
In
separate testing, the NHTSA had investigated the TailGauge Model V and other
competitors' driver backup warning systems. The result is a mandate for
specifications for these types of systems. Although they cannot recommend, endorse or mention product
names, they have adopted certain specifications from the TailGauge Model V
system including:
1.
Systems must be capable of detecting obstacles as far back as 15 feet behind
a vehicle.
2. Systems must notify the driver through the use of a
digital LED display.
Thus, all TailGauge digital display systems already meet NHTSA’s
tentative target of detecting obstacles 15 feet behind a vehicle and
having an LED display numerical readout. The TailGauge LED display is not
just a display, it is a DIGITAL readout in numerals, providing detailed
information to the driver. Most backup warning systems on the market
represent an obstacle using only single, (sometimes colored) LED and/or a
beeper. TailGauge does not believe this is enough. We have created a
driver backup aid, not just a warning device. Thus, in addition to the
beeper, all of our LED display systems are digital/numerical, instantly
providing exact distance information, in both feet and inches, to the
driver. This helps drivers negotiate the road, instead of just warning them
of an obstacle behind the vehicle.
SECTION 3
The
preliminary study by NHTSA (SECTION 1 above) focused on cameras and mirrors
only, and did not consider any other type of warning system. However, the
following shows how the Tailgauge Model V warning system compares with the
two types of systems the NHTSA did evaluate during this study.
TailGauge Advantages:
1)
Excellent at representing distance and closing speed.
2)
Audio driver warning system allows driver to continue looking at the road
instead of looking at mirrors or a video monitor.
3)
Small, unobtrusive LED display fits easily and safely in a truck cab; it
can, for example, be tucked into a corner of the dash or mounted below the
rear view mirror or camera (if the vehicle is so equipped).
4)
Especially with the SensorBar configuration, the sensors are easily
mountable either on the truck body or on the step.
5)
With the new wireless model, MUCH easier to install/remove than cameras; can
be used by Owner-operators of big rigs, refuse vehicles, cube trucks, etc!
6)
Not easy for a thief to remove. And, its low profile may even cause it to be
ignored by vandals and petty thieves.
7)
Can be mounted on most vehicles.
8)
Less vulnerable to damage or abuse.
In general,
TailGauge considers cameras to be a useful complement to its technology (we
believe that more information is usually better). However, since cameras are
passive, they are obviously not a complete solution for any vehicle, as it
has been shown that ACTIVE technology that warns the driver is needed to
avoid backup accidents. Our backup systems notify the driver of an obstacle,
reminding them and alerting them to stop and look. Once the driver is warned, the camera
him to view what was detected. They are a great
combination when installed together. |
