Unveiling Events in the "Crypt of the Living Dead"
In a significant move towards enhancing road safety, the city of Düsseldorf has begun installing turn assist systems on its fire trucks, including those from the volunteer fire brigade. This project, financially supported by a programme of the European Union, aims to make large vehicles like fire trucks navigate turns more safely by alerting drivers to potential hazards in blind spots.
The turn assist systems, which have been approved by the Federal Motor Transport Authority, use a radar sensor and a camera mounted on the passenger side of the truck. The system captures an area of approximately ten square meters on the passenger side that the driver cannot otherwise see. When the turn signal is activated, the driver makes a steering maneuver, or a moving object is detected in the relevant area, the monitor displays the image from the blind spot camera in the driver's field of view.
The turn assist system also includes an optical and acoustic warning signal inside the vehicle to highlight hazardous situations. Thomas Tremmel, head of the technical department of Düsseldorf's fire brigade, stated that this new installation is crucial for road safety.
Turn assist systems are becoming increasingly common on emergency vehicles, particularly in Europe where vehicle safety regulations are stringent. They are designed to make pedestrians and cyclists in previously non-optimally visible areas visible both visually and acoustically. These systems help fire truck drivers detect vulnerable road users who are often in blind spots, especially when turning.
By alerting drivers to obstacles, these systems reduce collisions involving pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles. Improved response times are another benefit, as reducing accident risk helps ensure fire trucks can reach emergencies more safely and reliably. Compliance with EU safety standards is also a significant advantage, supporting the meeting of UNECE regulations on vehicle safety technologies.
The installation of the turn assist systems on Düsseldorf's fire trucks is happening now, with only a quarter of the costs being covered by the city. The project is expected to be completed before it becomes mandatory for new vehicles throughout Europe in 2024. The fire trucks equipped with the turn assist systems are from the year 2017, and the installation will be done on new vehicles and existing ones, depending on their age.
While exact statistics on the adoption of turn assist systems for fire trucks in Europe are not available, their use is growing due to their clear road safety benefits, particularly in minimizing blind spot collisions during turns in complex urban traffic environments. They contribute to safer emergency vehicle operations and better protection of vulnerable road users.
Gadgets like turn assist systems, utilizing radar sensors and cameras, are being integrated into fire trucks in Düsseldorf. These technology-driven solutions are designed to enhance road safety by improving visibility of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles in blind spots during turns.
