It’s a familiar tale. You’re reversing and don’t notice an object in your blindspot. You slam on the brakes but it’s too late and there’s a sickening crunch.
It’s a minor collision, but getting the vehicle repaired will take time and most likely push up your insurance premium come renewal. If you are a fleet manager, there’s the extra headache of increased operational costs, dealing with false claimants, and having one of your vehicles out of operation. It really hits home when you realise how much all this will cost you.
Well, these worries can be a thing of the past if you choose to install our new improved
Banksman Auto Braking. It’s a system that uses radars to warn of impending collisions before priming the brakes and eventually performing an emergency stop.
According to government research, nearly a quarter of all deaths involving vehicles at work occur during reversing – and many other reversing accidents cause costly damage to vehicles and equipment.
With Banksman Auto Braking, if a driver ignores the many warning signals, the brakes will automatically be applied when obstacles are around 1.5 metres away from the back of the vehicle.
It even recognises the speed of approach using its engine management system. If the vehicle is moving too quickly towards an object, the brakes are applied sooner.
If you remain perfectly vigilant at all times, you probably won’t ever notice that your vehicle even has an automatic braking system.
However, automatic brakes can save someone’s life if you ever suffer from a momentary lapse in concentration. Automatic braking systems are primarily designed as a safeguard against distracted driving, and the technology can also save lives if a driver happens to fall asleep behind the wheel. Many drivers will never need to make use of this type of system, but it’s a fantastic safety net to have.
Nigel Armstrong, Technical Development Manager, of Vision Techniques, said: “Banksman Auto Braking eliminates dozens of potential incidents such as fatal accidents because of blind spots or people not noticing the vehicle or damage after reversing into bollards, low walls or lamp posts.
“It will save you a lot of money in the long run, since you’ll have fewer insurance claims on your hands, less vehicle downtime and significantly lower insurance premiums.”