The North Carolina DOT Introduces a New Alert System

The hi-tech in-cab trucking alert system piloted by the North Carolina Department of Transportation is gaining traction among truckers. The new technology plays an important role in reducing the risk of car accidents and crashes.

With a collaboration with the Intelligent Imaging System, the innovative pilot program offers a highly advanced truck messaging system that gives drivers real-time alerts about road conditions. The alerts aim to help truckers prepare for the events like slowdowns or stopped traffic.

The technology is Canada-based and plays an important role in maintaining road safety, and can become a great tool for law enforcement and transportation agencies. Moreover, as the crash rate of commercial vehicles is on the rise, new technologies may help truckers obtain quicker settlements on insurance claims.

Let’s delve into the details and find out how the new alert system could benefit trucking companies and truckers.

Why Truckers Need Alert Systems

Speeding is risky for every driver, especially when driving commercial heavy duty vehicles carrying hazardous waste or goods. Monitoring excessive speed is important to prevent accidents, reduce costs, and protect your fleet. Most truck accidents or crashes happen due to high speed or high rollover rate.

Here are some reasons why drivers need hi-tech tools or devices to reduce speeding for fleet safety.

Speeding Increases the Chances of Car Crashes

The most dangerous outcome of driving faster than the speed limit is the likelihood of an injury, accident, or fatality. The University of California presented a study showing that even the 1 percent increase in speed may increase the possibility of a crash by 2 percent.

According to WHO, more than 30 percent of road deaths in the US occur due to speeding. As speeding correlates to other risky driving behaviors such as distracted driving, drivers need a technology that can reduce the risk of accidents due to speeding.

How the New Alert System Benefits Commercial Vehicle Drivers

The new alert system contains messages that warn drivers of sudden congestion and slowdowns about two to three miles before they encounter the incident. Truck drivers receive alerts along with the other notifications and messages they get via the Drivewyze system incorporated in the pilot.

A Drivewyze safety notification alerts truckers when they approach a potentially unsafe condition that may include corridors with a low bridge high rollover rate. The commercial drivers can get the information via pilot at areas where they don’t have access to a digital message sign.

NCDOT maintains 300 plus digital signs to provide drivers updates about every 2,500m of roadways. The alert systems are great for truckers who have vehicles that are old and need more time to slow speed compared to passenger vehicles.

Summing Up

As the litigation of the truck crashes has risen significantly, insuring trucking services has become an expensive affair for companies. The new alert system introduced by the North Carolina transportation department may help truckers control speed and avoid crashes by using the real-time notifications.