Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a leading non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing road safety through cross-sector collaboration and technological innovation, announces the formation of the TSR Direct Vision Leadership Council. Making sure that drivers can see what鈥檚 happening on the road in front, and to the side of them, is essential to reducing roadway fatalities and injuries. Research shows that driving a conventionally designed truck results in a 23% increase in pedestrian collisions versus trucks optimized for direct vision. In contrast, in London, where trucks have been required to meet a direct vision standard since 2019, the city has recorded a 49% reduction in the number of fatal collisions involving large trucks and a 64% reduction in crashes causing severe injuries where vision was a factor.
鈥淚ntroducing direct vision vehicles into fleets 鈥� especially those operating in urban environments 鈥� can help reduce traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities,鈥� said Peter Goldwasser, TSR鈥檚 Executive Director. 鈥淥ur new Direct Vision Leadership Council provides an essential forum for key stakeholders 鈥� drivers, manufacturers, fleet managers and operators, and insurance and safety experts 鈥� to share information about the potential and practicalities of direct vision vehicles and provide their expertise to guide future safety research and development.鈥�
Composed of vehicle OEMs, large and small fleet operators, insurance providers, and other key stakeholders, the formation of the Council follows TSR publishing its foundational聽 鈥楧irect Vision Transition Guide: An Operator鈥檚 Guide to Transforming Fleets for Safety鈥� and coincides with a number of pilot programs launched to demonstrate the safety benefits of direct vision vehicles.
One key goal of the Leadership Council鈥檚 work will be to identify barriers and address challenges that can hinder widespread adoption of direct vision vehicles in North American fleets. Challenges include lack of awareness about the benefits of direct vision; procurement policies restricting what types of vehicles municipal governments can buy; and perceptions that direct vision vehicles are only applicable in the waste/recycling space. In addition, the Leadership Council will help TSR and supporting researchers gather information on financial, road safety, and workplace safety benefits that can come from deploying direct vision vehicles.
To overcome these hurdles and expand the market for high-vision trucks in North America, TSR鈥檚 Direct Vision Leadership Council will:
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Identify misconceptions and answer questions about direct vision vehicles and support TSR in the development of key messaging materials;
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Provide data on crashes to develop empirical analyses of direct vision benefits, such as safety as well as claims and insurance costs;
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Identify procurement barriers and suggest opportunities to address them; and
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Leverage internal resources to spread information about direct vision vehicles to primary and secondary market purchasers.
鈥淪afer, high vision fleet vehicles are a long-term priority at Dennis Eagle and we look forward to working with our colleagues across the industry to increase access to this life-saving equipment,鈥� said Geoff Rigg of refuse collection vehicle manufacturer Dennis Eagle Inc., who will serve as a co-chair of the Leadership Council. 鈥淭he TSR Direct Vision Leadership Council will harness the power of collaboration as we all work toward the shared goal of safer fleets and roads.鈥�
鈥淲e are excited to chart the course with TSR and other Council members to make high vision the norm in all fleets large and small,鈥� said Bryan Fenster of refuse vehicle innovator McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing Inc., who will also co-chair the Council. 鈥淭here鈥檚 significant potential to protect vulnerable road users through safety-focused truck design and collaborating with other innovators is the key to accelerating this process.鈥�
鈥淎s the nation鈥檚 largest municipal fleet in one of the most densely populated urban areas, we know that driver visibility in trucks is crucial to safety. Just last year, the City issued a critical new policy, Executive Order 39, directly addressing this issue, by mandating that all city fleet and contractor trucks meet minimum vision standards or be equipped with surround cameras to address blind zone issues,鈥� said Keith Kerman, NYC Chief Fleet Officer, Deputy Commissioner the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). 鈥淭hrough the TSR Direct Vision Leadership Council, we will have an opportunity to share these experiences and guide other cities to develop safer fleets.鈥�
鈥淲ith pedestrian deaths at their highest level in 40 years, this type of collaboration on solutions is urgently needed,鈥� said Becky Mueller, a senior research engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) who is joined on the Council by IIHS Senior Research Scientist David Kidd. 鈥淲e are excited to contribute to this important group and help develop new insights for commercial vehicle safety.鈥�
鈥淧artnering with experts, local agencies, and local communities enhances road safety. We believe that continuously improving commercial vehicle design and advancing safety technology are key to making roads safer 鈥� with the new TSR Council providing strategic direction for this effort,鈥� said Andres Pe帽ate, Global VP of Corporate Affairs at AB InBev and Board Chair of TSR.
鈥淭he implementation of more stringent direct vision requirements for operating a heavy goods vehicle in Greater London has proven to reduce serious injury and death on the roads,鈥� said Christina Calderato of Transport for London. 鈥淲e are proud to contribute our relevant insights from London to help increase awareness of direct vision vehicles in North America and hope that efforts like TSR鈥檚 new Direct Vision Standard will further build awareness and utilization鈥�
鈥淲e pride ourselves on creating a strong safety culture at UPS and look forward to collaborating on TSR鈥檚 Direct Vision Leadership Council,鈥� said Cormac Gilligan, Global Head, Environment, Health & Safety at UPS and board member of TSR. 鈥淏y working together and sharing our expertise, we can help improve road safety for everyone.鈥�
鈥淎s the leading national nonprofit safety advocate focused on eliminating preventable deaths and injuries in workplaces and on roadways, we know there is still a lot to be done to improve fleet truck safety,鈥� said Mark Chung, Executive Vice President, Safety Leadership & Advocacy, National Safety Council. 鈥淲ith more trucks on the road than ever, the work that TSR鈥檚 Direct Vision Leadership Council will be doing to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities is urgent, and we look forward to participating and supporting these efforts.鈥�
鈥淎s an international philanthropy dedicated to safe and sustainable mobility, we focus on direct vision because we know that the sheer size and weight of trucks leave little chance for vulnerable road users to survive crashes,鈥� said Natalie Draisin, Director, North America Office & United Nations Representative, FIA Foundation. 鈥淲e believe this new initiative will give us a forum for conversations about how to encourage private and public sector companies to select safer fleet trucks to address blind spots and safety standards.鈥�
鈥淎t Interstate Waste Services, we鈥檝e used direct-vision trucks in New York City and the tri-state area for years because they help make our operations safer 鈥� for our drivers and for the communities we serve. We鈥檙e glad to support Together for Safer Roads in sharing what we鈥檝e learned and exploring new ways to integrate direct-vision vehicles to improve safety for everyone on the road,鈥� said Sal Mastriani, Vice President of Risk Management.
“NWRA is honored to serve on the Direct Vision Leadership Council, recognizing the critical role our drivers and helpers play as both operators of heavy trucks and vulnerable road users when they exit their vehicles to collect waste and recycling containers,鈥� said Kirk Sander, Senior Vice President, Chief Safety and Standards, National Waste & Recycling Association. 鈥淲ith TSR鈥檚 leadership, we are advancing safety innovations that will make heavy trucks safer and protect all road users. We are committed to working alongside TSR and fellow Council members to drive meaningful change and enhance roadway safety.”
“Raising awareness of what makes a vehicle safe for people outside the vehicle is essential for us to meet our goal of eliminating traffic deaths,鈥� said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Chief of Streets for Boston. 鈥淭SR’s recent collaboration with the City of Boston contributed to large vehicle safety recommendations that can benefit our entire fleet and make City streets safer. We look forward to working with the council on advancing road safety.”