We’ve all seen it: the woman with a cell phone in one hand and mascara in the other, streaking down the highway in a Miata. This time, an Eagle Eye™ caught her in its vision before an accident happened. A local service driver, warned by Eagle Eye™ Obstacle Detection System, paid attention to the beeping sounds and visual display alerting him to the danger his eyes missed. Instead of changing lanes, the driver saved a life.
“He was driving a big truck, filled with chemicals. It would have been a terrible accident. Thankfully, our Eagle Eye™ crash avoidance system can prevent this kind of tragedy,” said Michael Coyle, CEO of Transportation Safety Technologies, Inc.
The Eagle Eye™ Obstacle Detection System was tested on 70 local service trucks for 10 weeks in an extensive trial of the system. Weekly evaluation reports from drivers revealed a startling result.
“There were 175 “yes” answers to the question, ‘Did it help you prevent an accident?” In 10 short weeks Eagle Eye™ prevented 175 accidents and paid for itself on 70 trucks. The cost of just fender benders would more than pay for Eagle Eye™ installation,” said Coyle.
With trucks primarily working in neighborhoods where children play, joggers breeze by with headsets, and dogs chase cars, the crash avoidance system can become a lifesaver for drivers. All vehicles have blind areas where driver’s cannot see pedestrians or other vehicles. Eagle Eye™ sensors alert drivers to what is behind and beside their vehicles. Drivers are equipped with a new way to see everything from lap-size dogs to careless teens zipping past.
Another driver in the test reported that a man standing behind him, talking on the phone, did not hear the exterior backing alarm (beeping) warning alert. With Eagle Eye™ detection, he avoided crushing the man’s legs between his car and the truck.
A third driver missed a dog, which was detected by the sensors. As he was backing up, the household pet laid behind the truck. Eagle Eye™ alerted the driver who fortunately, stopped in time.
“People get really upset when you harm their pets. It is hard to keep a customer after that happens,” said Coyle.
Insurance broker Marsh, the world’s largest, monitored the test. They compiled the weekly data resulting from the driver surveys, serving as unbiased scorekeepers.
“We wanted credible results, not marketing spin,” said Coyle, a longtime advocate for safety in the trucking industry.
Indianapolis-based Transportation Safety Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells safety and security products for the transportation industry. The products are designed to save lives, avoid injuries, reduce operating costs, and improve driver/operator control. TST is committed to making transportation safer for everyone. Chief among the safety products is the Eagle Eye Obstacle Detection System www.tst-eagleeye.com).
This system alerts a driver to any object within 10 feet of his vehicle to help avoid colliding with it. TST also designs, manufactures, and sells a wide array of electronic components for the trucking industry and other industries that utilize all types of trucks.