Reversing safety aid

Reaclear is a preventative reversing safety device from vehicle technology experts Innovative Safety Systems Ltd (ISS) and DCW is the first business in Devon to install the technology.

Reaclear comprises a hand-held device that houses a speaker and transmitter. The hand-held unit is carried by an on-foot reversing assistant and has a button that must be pressed before the vehicle is allowed to reverse. If the button is not pressed while the vehicle’s reverse is engaged, an in-cab alarm sounds to alert the driver to stop. The system also enables two-way communication between the driver and reversing assistant to avert potential risks. Even on vehicles fitted with other safety features, such as reverse radar, Reaclear facilitates better communication between crew members to prevent accidents before they occur, according to ISS.

DCW managing director Simon Almond, said: “As a company, our first priority before anything else is the safety of employees, pedestrians and other road users. Our crews make collections across the south west in many varied locations including business parks, construction sites, high streets and rural areas, where drivers frequently perform highly skilled manoeuvres in tight and busy spaces. A number of our larger vehicles already feature ISS 360° camera systems, which improve the driver’s road visibility, and Reaclear is a perfect addition to further enhance safety.

“Our crews operate with an HSE-recommended on-foot reversing assistant, who carries the Reaclear handset to let the driver know when it is safe to reverse. Unlike existing systems that react to danger during reversing, Reaclear ensures that the vehicle doesn’t even begin to reverse until it is safe. The system even reports any unauthorised reversing to our traffic manager for review. Since introducing Reaclear I’ve been impressed with its simplicity and effectiveness and we plan to install it on all our crewed vehicles in the coming months.”