Gone are the days when vehicles were merely a form of transportation to ferry individuals from point A to point B. We have now entered a realm where any mode of transportation comes with the expectation of being smart, convenient, and delivering more than just motion.The demand today is for a data center on wheels. Processing data and improving services and efficiency aren’t the only prerequisites for new-age vehicles, as the industry focuses on enhancing safety and adopting environment-friendly practices.
With the sales of Commercial Vehicles on the rise in India, up by 34.3% according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) 2023 report, safety has become an imperative feature. Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are placing immense emphasis on designing technology that will minimize risk-to-life to a significant extent.
In the realm of commercial vehicles (CVs), safety design has gone through a noticeable evolution over the last few years. For decades safety innovation focused on mechanical safety features – through crash boxes, improving seating, or engine positions. The focus was also on ensuring the right infrastructural designs were in place through regulations and policies. But eventually, we reached a point of saturation with our innovations and designs.
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That is when a new era dawned as electronic systems took center stage and began revolutionizing safety features. In the 1970s, the implementation of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) skyrocketed, helping deliver enhanced control to drivers and reducing accidents to a large extent.
While active measures (like ABS) faced initial complexity and cost challenges, passive safety measures gained substantial momentum. As is common knowledge, vehicle safety design focuses on active and passive safety. Active safety features prevent accidents from occurring in the first place. In contrast, passive safety features reduce the severity of the consequences in case accidents are unavoidable. Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is an early example of active safety measures, while supplemental restraint systems (SRS) which involves the deployment of airbags, is an example of passive safety measures. With the emergence of electronics, the industry began further analyzing anti-lock braking systems.
CVs are evolving
Today, engineers are working on revolutionizing safety for commercial vehicles around the world and the importance of this cannot be overstated. Let’s look at a scenario that best defines today’s commercial vehicles. In the unfortunate occurrence that an individual was to accidentally find themselves in the path of a 40-tonne truck hurtling down a highway at 80-odd kilometers an hour, and the driver fails to react in time to apply the brake, the Automatic Emergency Brake System (AEBS) will take over and ensure the truck stops in time. Globally, prevalent safety features include Active Brake Assist (ABA), Lane Change Assist, Sideguard Assist for pedestrians and cyclists, Stability and Roll Control Assist, and Traffic Sign Assist amidst a clutch of similar such technologies. Indian OEMs are now slowly but surely picking up on the global trends, as the Indian Government also makes a proactive effort to implement regulations that heighten the safety landscape.
The tech behind it all
With the shifting narrative and improved innovation in CVs, it is worth understanding the crucial technology contributing to safety systems in our vehicles today.
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): These systems incorporate sensors like radars, cameras, and radar to provide real-time data about the vehicle’s surroundings. They offer features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and more, greatly reducing the risk of accidents caused by driver error.
Telematics and Connectivity: The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought connectivity to commercial vehicles. Telematics systems enable remote monitoring of a vehicle’s performance and driver behavior. Fleet managers can receive alerts and reports in real-time, allowing them to take proactive measures to enhance safety and efficiency.
Predictive Analytics : Data-driven insights have become invaluable in the pursuit of safety. By analyzing historical data, they can predict maintenance needs, driver fatigue, and even accident-prone areas, allowing for proactive interventions.
What the future holds
As we prepare for the next era in safety, systems are evolving beyond traditional electronic control units (ECUs) and sensors. High-computing-capable systems will be more pertinent in the next decade. The focus is now on domain computers or vehicle computers, which integrate data from diverse sensors and solve issues using cutting-edge machine-learning algorithms. Additionally, seamless connectivity with backend systems empowers real-time information exchange to enable dynamic adjustments based on factors like weather, road, or traffic conditions.
With a highly competent and innovative workforce at our disposal commercial vehicle fleets will eventually become a lot safer and more intelligent. A new dawn is rising and promising breakthroughs in automotive intelligence and safety design will soon come to the fore.
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