Discover Hino’s proactive approach to driver safety with the Hino 700 Series.
For over 12-months there have been many changes within the transport industry, of which being granted the status of ‘essential service’ by state and federal government was one of the biggest. Another change was an increase in the number of trucks on the road.
The recent annual NTI NTARC Major Accidents Investigation Report has shown a 55%* increase since 2003, along with a more concerning increase in the number of driver error accidents involving trucks.
In this blog we take a closer look at the three major sub-causes of driver error accidents and how the all-new Hino 700 Series answers a lot of these safety issues that confront the transport industry every day.
Driver Error
Of all the ways a truck accident can occur, driver error was the only one that continued to rise from 2019 through 2020. While the increase was minimal, 39%* (2019) to 40%* (2020), the report indicates an overall rise of 25% since 2013*.
While many would suspect fatigue to be the major cause, this is not the case. In fact, there are three sub-causes responsible for this continued rise:
- Inattention and Driver Distraction
- Inappropriate Vehicle Positioning
- Inadequate Following Distance
Inattention and Driver Distraction
By far the largest contributor to driver error accidents (37.9%*), many of which involve other vehicles or objects (road furniture or infrastructure*). No matter if you’re a truckie or a motorist, travelling long distances or spending many hours behind the wheel, can result in you becoming easily distracted.
Thankfully, Hino has a solution; our new Driver Monitor system in the all-new Hino 700 Series. Using a camera integrated into the vehicle’s A-Pillar, it constantly monitors the driver’s attention and checks for signs of distraction through driving posture, face orientation, and eyelid status. If it detects a lack of attention or drowsiness the system provides a visual and audible alert.
Inappropriate Vehicle Positioning
Responsible for 24%* of all driver error related accidents, Inappropriate Vehicle Positioning is next on the list. It’s not just about staying in your lane; it’s about maintaining a safe distance in any situation. Given the varying size of some trucks and roads, this can be tricky at the best of times. A good example is accidental lane departure, where the slightest change can have a big impact on those around you.
With the all-new Hino 700 Series, a crucial feature in the Hino SmartSafe safety package is the Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS). Say you’re travelling along a major highway and your truck starts to deviate from its lane, but you haven’t used your indicators. LDWS will alert you both visually and audibly, so you can immediately correct your vehicle, and avoid an incident.
Inadequate Following Distance
Coming in at third on the list is Adequate Following Distance. Resulting in 22.8%* of all driver error accidents, the report states that most of these occur in urban areas where traffic is denser. Of those investigated, 96.2%* were at-fault nose-to-tail accidents, many of which followed a similar pattern where the driver couldn’t stop in time when traffic slowed.
Accidents like this can be easily avoided with our Pre-Collision System (PCS) in the all-new Hino 700 Series. Radar and image sensors monitor the road in front, and should it detect the possibility of a collision, it can warn the driver to apply the brakes using both visual and audible alerts. If the system determines an imminent collision, it can autonomously apply the brakes to mitigate damage.
Safety First with Hino
Safety has always been at the forefront of design for Hino trucks, and the all-new Hino 700 Series is no exception. With Hino SmartSafe we have taken an active focus in protecting the drivers, passengers and other road users and engineered these advanced safety features as standard inclusions not operational extra’s.
Hino SmartSafe is found throughout the light, medium and now heavy-duty model range and the 700 Series boosts the most comprehensive safety package ever offered in a Hino truck.
If you want to check out the full safety suite of the all-new Hino 700 Series, as well as its many other features, visit our website today: https://www.hino.com.au/700/.
References:
*Indicates information found in the NTI NTARC Major Accidents Investigation Report 2021.