The safety of your drivers, as well as other drivers and pedestrians in close proximity to your vehicles, is not everyone’s favorite topic of discussion. But no one would disagree that it is among the highest priorities within every beverage fleet. Fortunately, today’s technology — including audiovisual collision avoidance systems — have made it a much easier conversation to have.

Here’s some of the latest high-tech safety technology solutions, as well as an aluminum product that helps reduce catastrophic accidents with little high-tech interface:

Lytx Video Services

Lytx Video Services enables fleet and operations managers to virtually be connected to a vehicle or in the field at the most critical moments and up to a week later, the company says. The system combines a cloud-connected event recorder and video camera with software to help eliminate vehicle blind spots that “keep fleets from being their most efficient, productive and profitable.”

The Lytx system delivers video evidence that enables fleet managers to evaluate both driving and non-driving operations, provides proof or confirmation of the true story of an incident, and helps reveal new opportunities to generate revenue or improve customer service.

Available as an integrated service enhancement to the DriveCam safety program, Lytx’s flagship product, DriveCam Enterprise, is a complete driver safety program designed to change driver behavior with advanced analytics and comprehensive driver coaching. The program enables fleet operators to manage the safety requirements of every driver in their fleets.

Zone Defense 360

The Zone Defense 360 system gives drivers a full view around the entire vehicle — hence, the “360.” The 9-inch LCD monitor simultaneously displays all camera feeds while the touchscreen enables drivers to select a single view when maneuvering in a certain direction. There also are built-in triggers that automatically switch the view based on actions such as reversing, turning, etc.

There are four Zone Defense cameras with angles specific to the fleet’s location, including two-sided cameras with 180-degree angle views, one rear camera with a 120-degree field of vision and a forward camera, also with a 120-degree angle. Built-in speakers let drivers hear and see activity in their blind spots. Zone Defense 360 is designed to easily integrate with existing recording, tracking, satellite navigation or other fleet technologies, the company says.

PRECO Electronics PreView Plus

The PreView Plus from PRECO Electronics integrates a passive safety system with the company’s active radar technology. When the radar sensor detects an individual or object in the detection zone, it sends an audible alert, directing the driver to see on the monitor what is in that zone. This enables the driver to quickly react and avoid a potential collision. The combination of the passive and active warning systems offer the best of both worlds, the company says.

Passive safety systems, cameras and monitors, provide optimal visibility for drivers to help them reduce the potential for accidents, but such systems require the drivers’ attention to identify possible obstacles. Active warning systems bring sensor technology into the equation. They’ll hear the alert before having to direct their attention to the video monitor to see what the outside object, vehicle or individual is. The integration of the two types of systems allows the driver to simply focus on driving.

The Hawkeye InterMotive Vehicle Controls

The Hawkeye from InterMotive Vehicle Controls is a front and rear object detection system available with or without a camera and LCD display. The camera can be manually activated at any time, the company says. When an obstacle appears in the front or rear of the truck, the Hawkeye alerts the driver with both visual and audible warnings, displaying the exact distance and location of the object being detected. Up to eight sensors can be mounted on the front or rear bumpers to detect objects at a distance of 4-to-10 feet, based on the density of the object. The audible warning pulses more rapidly as the object gets closer.

Walker Blocker Side Guards

Although there’s several high-tech digital safety solutions in the market, here’s one that’s decidedly different. Walker Blocker markets aluminum side guards that are installed just in front of a truck’s rear tires to prevent bike riders, pedestrians and motorcyclists from moving under the truck bed or trailer. The company created the guards to minimize potential casualties from side-impact collisions.

The guards are designed to keep motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians from being hit by side-impact collisions and falling under the moving wheels. Such guards already are common in Europe and parts of Asia — even mandatory in some countries — but they have less of a presence in the United States. The company hopes to change that with its easy-to-install, easy-to-dismantle system that requires no special tools, it says. The systems are customizable and are equipped with a front cover shield that can be used for branding purposes, the company says. BI