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The Düsseldorf Fire Department has taken a proactive step towards improving road safety by installing turn assist systems on their fire engines. These cutting-edge systems, which have been in service since 2017, are designed to enhance the maneuverability and visibility of these large emergency vehicles, particularly when it comes to the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
The turn assist systems, installed over two days by specialist technicians, work with a radar sensor and a camera. They capture an area of around 10 square meters on the passenger side that the driver cannot otherwise see. A monitor, installed in the driver's field of view, displays the image from the blind spot, allowing the driver to make safer turns. The monitor can be seen simultaneously with a glance in the passenger side mirror.
The system also includes an optical and acoustic warning signal in the vehicle interior to alert the driver to dangerous situations. The monitor is activated when the turn signal is activated, when the driver makes a steering maneuver, or when a moving object is detected in the relevant area.
The project is financially supported by a program of the European Union. The installation will initially be done on new fire trucks, with existing emergency equipment receiving the system based on their age. The fire trucks of the Düsseldorf Fire Department, which are not new, will also receive the turn assist system, although the exact timeline for this is not specified.
The installation of the turn assist system on the fire trucks is not limited to those from the year 2017. The camera is mounted on the front passenger side of the truck. Only about a quarter of the costs for the installation of the turn assist system have to be covered by the city of Düsseldorf.
The turn assist system is approved by the Federal Motor Transport Authority and is being installed on the first fire trucks of the Düsseldorf Fire Department. The benefits of these systems are significant, providing improved vehicle control during turns, enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety, increased road safety at intersections, and supplementing driver awareness during complex emergency responses.
While these advanced assist systems introduce additional maintenance requirements or complexity in fleet management, they are likely to yield analogous improvements by aiding safe turning, expanding visibility of vulnerable road users, and preventing accidents. This is in line with research showing that general safety and vehicle assist technologies have been demonstrated to significantly reduce collisions by augmenting driver capability and responsiveness.
In conclusion, the installation of turn assist systems on fire engines in Düsseldorf enhances road safety by improving maneuver control and visibility of pedestrians and cyclists during turns, thereby reducing accident risk in critical emergency response scenarios. The benefits come with considerations around added vehicle complexity and maintenance, as seen in broader vehicle assist technology contexts.
The EU-funded project has extended beyond fire engines from 2017, with the turn assist systems also being installed on older models. The science and technology behind these safety systems have been approved by the Federal Motor Transport Authority, aligning with research that shows general safety and vehicle assist technologies can significantly reduce collisions.
The turn assist systems, not only improve maneuverability and visibility of fire engines during turns, but also enhance safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users, particularly in general-news worthy situations involving complex emergency responses.
