Onboard video systems can increase vehicle and road safety

Every year, a large number of traffic incidents and crashes occur worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. There are many factors leading to this: road infrastructure, road users, vehicle speeds, and vehicle safety.

 

Another of these is fatigue and drowsiness at the wheel, which could result in a dangerous situation that jeopardizes the safety of driver, passengers, and even pedestrians. According to The Euro Weekly News, the fatigue detection system and other driver assistance system will be mandatory in new cars in 2022, as it says the vast majority of road accidents are caused by human error. So much so, it is critical that actions to improve vehicle safety are taken to promote safe transport for all road users.

 

How a video-based onboard security system can help

As a leading IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, Hikvision designed and developed its Mobile Onboard Video System to boost vehicle security in comprehensive ways. These range from reliable footage recording and route deviation or speeding alarms, to emergency alarms and abnormal driving behavior analysis.

 

The system offers 360° video coverage both inside and outside a vehicle, providing real-time situational awareness for safe driving. Video footage is reliably transmitted and stored, which can be used as forensic evidence in the event of a traffic accident. It also generates insights such as passenger flow in a public bus, for example, so that passenger distribution can be optimized to improve their comfort.

 

Protecting a range of road vehicles

Hikvision's Onboard Video Security System ensures that typical types of vehicle are well protected, including public buses, school buses, trucks, taxis, and ride-hailing cars.

 

Public buses

Buses play an important role in urban transportation. For many people, they provide an indispensable method for their daily commute. Accordingly, the operational efficiency of the bus fleet, its services, and public safety demonstrate new challenges for public transport authorities.

 

Hikvision understands those challenges, and has developed its Bus Solution with two important features. Firstly, passenger flow counting, based on video analytics, allows bus drivers to know the actual number of passengers inside in real time. This is helpful when certain compliance requirements such as social distancing is introduced. If passenger flow exceeds a pre-defined number, an alert can be sent to the operation center for better bus fleet scheduling. This help them to improve service quality and passenger satisfaction.

 

Another feature is abnormal driving behavior detection, which can pick up driver fatigue, as well as smoking in the bus. If these incidents are detected, an alert is sent to the monitoring center in real time, allowing operators to communicate with drivers immediately via two-way audio.

 

School buses

School buses can carry 40 or more students to and from school. As such, operators want to take extra care of this precious cargo. Is the school bus on its usual route? Did a student board the bus on time and get off at the right stop? For school administrators and parents, these matters can be critical.

 

Hikvision's School Bus Solution offers innovative onboard attendance capabilities. When students get on the bus, they can swipe their ID card on a terminal and the record is uploaded to the system's central platform right away. At the same time, a notification can be pushed to parents' mobile phones, informing them that their child is safely on the bus.

 

It's also important to protect students when they get off the school bus and cross the road. The solution includes a 'stop for school bus' sign with an audible and visual flash warning. This works to notify passing vehicles to stop until students safely cross a street.

 

Trucks

Trucks transport a wide range of goods and materials, ranging from our daily necessities to luxury products. Therefore, it is important for logistics companies to know the real-time status of their truck fleet, whether they transit goods on time, and arrive at the destinations safely, etc. Hikvision's Truck Solution collects audio and video data with cameras installed inside and outside the truck. It sends GPS and alarm data through onboard video recorders and 3G/4G wireless networks, to realize remote truck monitoring and management.

 

Due to their size, trucks have large blind spots on both sides. Vehicles located in these blind spots are difficult to see and can easily go unnoticed by the driver. Hikvision's Truck Solution offers camera views that cover these blind spots, so truck drivers know about vehicles entering into these areas. This helps them to drive safely and promotes road safety.

 

Hikvision's solution further provides different kinds of sensors for bespoke needs on a truck. For example, if a truck transports valuable goods that are not allowed to be checked during the journey, a door sensor can be added to record if anyone opens it before arrival. In some cases, if a truck transports cold food, the temperature inside must be maintained at a stable level to ensure freshness. Accordingly, customers can include a temperature sensor in the system to monitor the temperature change.

 

Taxis and ride-hailing cars

As mobility improves in urban life, many people use mobile apps to get a ride, either with a taxi or a ride-hailing car. It's convenient and fast. On the other hand, it's also important to maintain rider safety from the start of the journey until they reach their destination.

 

In busy periods, for example rush hours and holiday seasons, taxi and ride-hailing drivers struggle to take a break and they usually work long hours. In this situation, it's very easy to get tired which could also cause health issues. Hikvision's solution for taxis and ride-hailing cars includes abnormal driving behavior analysis, such as driving while drowsy. In that case, drivers can be reminded to pull over and take a rest.

 

Hikvision's solution also provides a trunk camera that records footage if a passenger's luggage or handbag was left behind after departure, or stolen by others.

 

From abnormal driving behavior analysis, and 'stop for the school bus' warning, to the crucial 'blind spots' monitoring, onboard security has showed how necessary it is to improve vehicle security in all aspects, so as to reduce road crashes effectively and keep all road users safe. Hikvision Onboard Video Security System helps business customers maximize their security with added value that furthers vehicle operation to a new level.