Keeping drivers safe is at the absolute heart of nearly all successful businesses. Yet aside from making sure those behind the wheel are responsible and careful with whatever they’re carrying, there have been major developments in the technology that keeps vans safe.
What can you expect from modern vans – and what’s on the horizon? Here, we take a look at the gadgets that often come with newer models of transport, and what we can expect in the coming months and years.
Current van safety technology
360°, directional and dashboard cameras
Cameras are becoming much more commonplace on fleets, and can provide invaluable awareness through dashboard-based screen to improve spatial awareness, a greater understanding of traffic, and a better grasp of manoeuvrability in tight situations.
These are getting much more affordable, too, largely due to the plummeting price of camera technology. Drivers often add to the set-up with a dashcam, too – while this doesn’t prevent accidents, company-enforced dashcam use can cut down on aggressive driving behaviour, and also record any accidents for use in insurance claims, or prosecutions of thieves.
Lane departure warning systems
No longer are cat’s eyes and rumble strips the signal that you may be going off course – a clever new piece of technology can now tell if a van moves closer to a lane marking without the driver indicating. Alerts are usually both visual and audible, and extra-special versions of the tech may even vibrate the steering wheel.
Automatic high-beam
This clever device is becoming increasingly standardised in vans, and allows you to choose main beam at night, but not put other road users at risk. The most basic entries use a forward-facing camera to detect the lights of cars or bikes, which triggers the van to revert to dipped headlamps – perfect for A and B-roads.
Speed limit detectors
Differing slightly to the well-established speed limiters fitted to countless vans in the UK, limit detectors check road signs and adjust adaptive cruise control if it is higher than the speed limit. Again, it’s powered by a camera – it gradually reduces speed to a maximum of 5mph above the speed limit.
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
AEB is pretty straightforward: in an emergency, the van brakes hard automatically. Laser sensors monitor the road and look for obstacles, from cars and trucks to pedestrians and cyclists. The system will first warn the driver, and if they don’t take action, the van’ll do it itself.
Van safety technology in the future?
Self-driving vehicles
While major steps have been made in getting self-driving cars on the road, it may be a long time before vans get the same benefits.
Augmented-reality windscreens
How better to analyse potential risks on the road than through a heads-up display on your windscreen? These are still very much in the ideas stage, but could be trialled quicker than you think.
Fully-automated parking
While parallel parking assistance is available on some cars, it may only be a matter of time before vans offer full autonomous parking from a fixed point.
Remote vehicle shutdown
The idea is not far from becoming a real fixture in vans, but unlike mobile phones, you can’t just switch off a moving vehicle – it’s all about making sure they pull over safely before keeping the doors locked.
