Do I need reversing cameras for my fleet?

It’s news that certainly isn’t backwards; according to The Guardian learner drivers in the UK will now have to prove they can have to drive into and reverse out of parking spaces in a governmental push to improve drivers’ skills.

Friday 23 September 2016

Do I need reversing cameras for my fleet?

It’s news that certainly isn’t backwards; according to The Guardian learner drivers in the UK will now have to prove they can have to drive into and reverse out of parking spaces in a governmental push to improve drivers’ skills.

Many motorists will read such news and think, “It’s about time”, and they have a point. Statistics suggest that, for accidents involving motorists in the past five years 3% cited “learner or driver inexperience” as a factor.

Reversing is one of the most difficult skills a new driver can acquire, as it combines a need to be alert and visually coordinated, with the correct technical use of the steering wheel, pedals and mirrors, all while aware of the confusing sensation of travelling backwards.

The difference between reversing a Nissan Micra around a cul-de-sac as a ‘normal’ motorist and a professional attempting to place 20-tonne artic lorry into a loading bay is immense. It’s a difference that is well known to insurers; according to the Association of British Insurers, reversing of commercial vehicles is a major problem accounting for one claim in every six.

Hypothetically one could park every vehicle in front ways, but how realistically viable is such a ‘solution’, and would it really work in a car park or busy environment anyway? In retail, manufacturing, or virtually any business where a fleet is needed, the whole purpose of rear doors is to unload stock or gain access to tools or items more easily, so parking frontwards negates this key advantage. In any event, an HGV driver will need to know how to reverse competently to pass an HGV driving test.

More realistically then, what could a fleet driver do to mitigate risk of collision or accident? As with all skills, practice and visualisation of the manoeuvre will help. Experts say that mentally rehearsing the ‘line’ of the reverse can help, trying to enter as straight as possible into a gap and always remaining aware of the length of the particular vehicle. On the first few occasions external help will be needed, and any company worth its salt will extensively train any new or returning drivers before handing over the keys.

However another method that might help alleviate concerns is training drivers in cabs or vans installed with reversing cameras, such as those provided by Brigade Electronics or similar companies. While no mechanism of this type is completely safe, the camera would help lessen associated risks with blind spots and collisions involving pedestrians and fellow workers, other vehicles and static objects. The devices are simple to install and provide a view from one or multiple sources, which is fed into a monitor for the driver to observe.

Of course, such measures would come with conditions; for example, no firm would want its drivers to become too reliant on cameras, and they would still be expected to exercise alertness and common sense. There’s also the factor of cost, and a number of factors would need to accompany the technology; agency drivers would need to be trained in its operation, should the fleet use them.

The overall costs would depend on the level of technology used and the size of the fleet, meaning that the cameras might simply not be viable for some smaller firms - but this needs to be weighed up against the cost of any damage caused, or insurance cost increases in the event of an accident without those cameras. Overall, fleet cameras would likely be useful at worst, and vital at best. Perhaps installing some or half of the fleet with cameras first is the way forward, to test their effectiveness, and then move onwards as appropriate.

Friday 23 September 2016