Solving for Blind Zones Takes Center Stage in NYC

Hi Friend,

On the heels of our second annual Vision Zero Fleet Forum last month, which helped to create connections across industries and sectors to accelerate solutions for road safety and work towards Vision Zero, we attended both the Texas Vision Zero Summit where our work in Gulfton (Houston) was highlighted and the Government Fleet Expo and Conference where we moderated a panel on spec’ing safer vehicles.

Additionally, we attended the 33rd Annual NYC Fleet Equipment and Vehicle Show last week where one of our “Truck of the Future” vehicles was on display demonstrating how older vehicles can be retrofitted to be made safe. Older vehicles are just one piece of the puzzle though in solving for blind zones—we desperately need a universal standard for Direct Vision cab design and the NYC Fleet Show did not disappoint having multiple vehicles displayed demonstrating this design.

We are gearing up for a busy week September 19-23rd in New York City where the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will be held as well as Concordia’s Annual Summit, which will bring together heads of state, leaders of the private and NGO sectors for the largest convening alongside of the UNGA. Our annual meeting will also be this week and while more information will be coming soon about it, you may want to keep the week of September 19th open.

Thanks again for your support as we continue to utilize technology to make roads safer for all.

Together for Safer Roads' Innovative Technology Solution, “Truck of the Future,” Showcased at NYC's 2022 Fleet Show

In the U.S., trucks represent 12 percent of total road fatalities yet are only about 4 percent of the vehicles operating on the road. Truck fatalities are high because drivers of large vehicles have limited visibility, making it difficult to see what’s around them – known as blind zones.

To address the issue of blind zones and reduce traffic deaths and collisions across the globe, we have been working on retrofittable solutions, such as cameras that give fleet vehicles 360° visibility with Humanising Autonomy‘s 360 Driver Visibility products, in collaboration with VisionTrack (Telematics) and Streamax Technology Co., Ltd. (Hardware). Humanising Autonomy’s Behaviour AI platform is being deployed on fleet vehicles to alert drivers of vulnerable road users’ behavior and intent predictions in real-time.

Recently, Humanising Autonomy installed some of their equipment into the City of New York’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ fleets for their 33rd Annual Equipment and Vehicle Show. The technology will greatly enhance the drivers' visibility, helping to keep vulnerable road users safe.

Learn more about our work with retrofittable solutions and redesigned truck cabs to address blind zones and reduce traffic deaths.

Direct Vision Cab Design as the Universal Standard

Trucks designed with poor visibility are a problem the world over—but they shouldn’t be as cab designs that reduce driver blind zones exist, as some of the vehicles, including BrightDrop's, displayed at the annual NYC Equipment and Vehicle Show, demonstrate. If private and public sector fleet leaders come together, we could make “direct vision cab design” the universal standard for new vehicle designs.

Learn more as Alex J Johnston of Cities Reimagined, Alexander Epstein from the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Andy Graves with Dennis Eagle UK, Keith Kerman with City of New York's Citywide Administrative Services, Kirk Sander of the National Waste & Recycling Association and Sal Mastriani of Interstate Waste Services, Inc. discuss this important topic at last months’ Vision Zero Fleet Forum.

There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster—Who Profits and Who Pays the Price

We can’t thank Jessie Singer, Journalist and Author, enough for participating in a powerful fireside chat last month at our Global Vision Zero Fleet Forum where she discussed that while there are more than 200,000 “accidental” deaths in the United States each year — traffic deaths included — these so-called “accidents” are hardly random. Each is the predictable result of unequal power in every form — physical and systemic.

Check out her fantastic new book, "There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.”*

*Purchasing from our curated list of road safety books will allow us to continue to help keep fleets safe while also helping local communities keep their own roads safe for all users. We are an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. We will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.