10 ways to improve safety around your vehicle
10 ways to improve safety around your vehicle
Whether you are a truck driver, forklift operator, farmer, repairman, site supervisor ... your vehicle is your work tool.
Beyond proper maintenance and the good mechanical functioning of your vehicle, it is important to minimize the risk of accidents around your vehicle. These accidents can involve other vehicles or pedestrians, but also equipment breakage during maneuvers.
Many dramatic situations can be avoided simply with these 10 solutions:
1. Reduce blind spots
Blind spots can become the dread of drivers, an easy way to help you with your maneuvers is to install camera kits around your vehicle. Commonly known as backup cameras, they can be mounted on the sides of your vehicle as well as the front. There are also 360 ° systems that will recreate the view above the vehicle and the trajectory path.
2. Check that your tail lights are working properly
As the first communication tool between a truck and the vehicles that follow it, the rear light must be in perfect working order. It is compulsory for all vehicles to check the correct operation of the direction indicators. Some brands of tractors go so far as to check all functions. It is also important to ensure that the lights are properly cleaned to ensure optimal photometry. Only install lamps that comply with current regulations.
3. Light up your work area
Good lighting at dusk, night or indoors is essential to guarantee your safety and comfort. Multiple work lights around the vehicle will optimize illumination of the entire work area and improve visibility.
4. Adopt a flashing side marker lights
To improve visibility of longer vehicles during a change of direction, supplement 6 of regulation R48 made the flashing side marker lights mandatory in June 2017.
The application concerns vehicles of M2 categories (+ 9 seats) / M3 (buses> 5t) / N2 / N3 (trucks) over 9m, and trailers of O3 / O4 categories.
Flashing side marker lights are used to warn road users (cyclists or vehicles) of the semi-trailer's change of direction while they are in the danger zone on the side of the semi-trailer.
Vignal offers two solutions to comply with this regulation: the management of side marker lights by our LC12 LED rear light or by our SMCU (side marker control unit).
5. Check the R65 compliance of your beacons
Any slow moving or bulky general interest vehicle may be fitted with special rotating or flashing lights.
Only vehicles equipped with ECE-R65 approved rotating beacons may circulate on the European (E Capital) public road network.
European directives ECE-R65 indicate light values, colors, types of flashing, visibility angle ...
All our beacons are ECE-R65 approved, with the exception of Puck and Fresnel.
6. Be visible when parked
Install reflective stripes on the back and sides of your vehicles to be clearly visible at night, whether your vehicle is in motion or parked.
7. Install additional reverse work lights
Backing up in dark environments with large vehicles can be complex. The regulation (s) (provide) offers the possibility of adding reverse lights in addition to those integrated in the rear light to facilitate these maneuvers. The area is then well lit and secure. The Highway Code defines for vehicles over 6 meters the mandatory presence of two lights and authorizes the addition of two optional lights. Each light must be approved according to European regulation ECE R23 and must operate only when reverse gear is engaged.
8. Secure your deliveries
Manufacturers offer options that improve working conditions in transport trades. For example, the patented BL15 and CTL15 lighting solution can considerably improve the safety and comfort of your deliveries.
The vehicle parked for unloading is made very visible by the scrolling of its hazard lights.
Lighting up your working environment is key. BL15 provides powerful and uniform light beyond the tailgate.
9. Install an audible back-up alarm
Back-up alarms are used to warn pedestrians on the path of the vehicle that it is backing up. Secure your maneuvers in all types of situations, on a construction site, a quarry, loading dock, warehouses ...
Several types of alarms exist on the market:
- The standards emit the sound "beeep beeep". They can be adjustable to ambient noise or fixed at a certain decibel level.
- The multi-frequencies emit the sound "Ssshrrr Ssshrrr". They provide a warning signal for all those in the danger zone of vehicle back-up while minimizing disturbance to neighboring areas.
10. Signal your special transport with LED flash lights
Whether on an oversized convoy, special vehicles (recovery, priority), or forklifts, it is interesting to add LED flashing lights for better visibility. Commonly called directional flashing lights, they can be mounted in the grid, tailgates, surface, they are available in several colors (amber, blue or white).
General recommendations:
Vignal offers you a complete range of quality products, tested, selected with care and which respect the regulations in force.
This list relates specifically to lighting and safety products. Do not hesitate to reach out to your sales representative for advice or to contact us directly: contact.
