Blind Spot: How Helpers in Truck Accidents Manage…

The Truck Turn Assist is designed to assist the driver when turning right (in the UK and other countries with left-hand traffic when turning left). It uses a visual and acoustic signal to warn the driver of road users in a so-called “blind spot” next to the vehicle. This is intended to protect particularly vulnerable groups, such as cyclists and pedestrians.

In the driver’s cabin, there is usually a warning lamp in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe right A-pillar, which is supported by an acoustic signal. In cars with electronic outside mirrors, warning signals can also be displayed directly on the display of the mirror camera. Some systems can independently start full or partial braking. A video camera can also be attached to support the assistance system, which shows the area to the right of the driver’s cabin on a display in the cockpit. There are also solutions that only display a video image but do not emit any visual or audible warning signals. However, in this case, one is not talking about a transformation assistant in the real sense. The effective safety of pure image display is also questionable, because the driver can easily overlook the image if he is not looking at the screen. Therefore, warning lights and warning sounds are essential for safety.

From a technical point of view, several sensors usually work together in a shift assistant. Radar and/or lidar sensors scan the vicinity of the truck. The software processes information from sensors and checks if any objects are from road users or other objects – such as trees, water hydrants, traffic infrastructure elements such as signs and towers or others. This assessment is often supported by the method of image analysis using a video image of the relevant image section next to the vehicle. If the program comes to the conclusion that there is a user of the road and there is a risk of collision, then the warning chain corresponding to the light and sound signals is triggered.