Safety is Simple: Part 3

Of all the driving maneuvers, backing can be one of the most difficult and dangerous. The greatest danger of backing is a lack of visibility. Even with properly adjusted mirrors, many times it is impossible to see everything that you are backing towards.

If you are working in a jobsite or a busy loading dock, there is a high likelihood that you could run over a distracted worker or pedestrian. But that does not have to be the case. By installing a backup camera or backup alarm on your vehicle, you can either see the dangers behind you or warn them to step aside.

Backup Camera

The main benefit of a backup camera is that it allows you to see what you could not see before. Whether that is a post of a building, a wall, or a bystander, the backup camera allows you to see trouble and avoid it. However, the main disadvantage of a backup camera is that it does not work for tractor-trailer combinations in most cases.

Since the trailer is a separate unit, connecting the trailer's backup camera to the tractor's in-cab screen would prove challenging. In these situations, a different piece of backup warning system is most effective: the backup alarm.

  

 

    

 Backup Alarm

Unlike the backup camera, the backup alarm works with both truck and trailer by emitting a loud, beeping sound to warn people that the vehicle is moving in reverse. The backup alarm automatically activates as soon as the vehicle is in reverse and does not cease until the vehicle is in a forward gear or neutral.

Backup alarms are common on tow trucks, ambulances, and some service vehicles, but including one on your truck tractor is probably a good idea also. 

Safety is simple, but it is a way of life. If safety is only considered when the safety inspector is present, accidents are bound to happen. Be safe on America's highways.