In honor of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Together for Safer Roads (TSR), a coalition of leading businesses and public sector leaders announce a design challenge to improve fleet safety and save lives: Truck of the Future with a focus on driver visibility. Collectively, TSR, Anheuser Busch InBev, PepsiCo and Republic Services are leading the project as a part of their commitment to the Stockholm Declaration and reaffirmation of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. Partners and advisors include UPS, the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services, which oversees the city’s fleet, and experts from leading truck safety research agencies.
The Truck of the Future project will identify and test innovative and cost-effective solutions to eliminate collisions between large vehicle operators and other road users, which are especially the most vulnerable. Based on an ideation session convened by TSR, safety experts from some of the world’s largest fleets identified driver visibility as a high priority. “There are many interventions that can address driver visibility issues – improved cab designs, collision avoidance systems and better infrastructure to name a few,” said Cormac Gilligan, Vice President, Global Environmental, Health & Safety at PepsiCo. “PepsiCo is pleased to be a part of a collective solution.”
TSR President David Braunstein shared, “This project is our Call to Arms regarding an underappreciated aspect of road safety. After all, drivers cannot react to what they cannot see or sense. We must make meaningful progress towards the 2030 agenda, and bringing together these influential partners is part of our unique contribution.”
TSR and its collaborators seek to partner with innovative startups with a focus on commercially viable emerging technology solutions scalable in-market. “At AB InBev we believe that multi-stakeholder approaches are key to tackling road safety effectively. The inclusion of our technology incubator in this unique initiative allows us to solve big business challenges with innovation and creativity, all while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and fostering safe communities globally,” said Joshua Girard, global director of safety at AB InBev.
Safety is top of mind for businesses and the communities where they operate. “Republic Services operates one of the nation’s largest fleets, and safety is our number one priority,” said Jim Olson, Republic Services vice president of safety. “We are constantly evaluating new technologies to help our drivers stay safe behind the wheel. Over the last decade there have been significant advances in video and sensor technology. We are excited to be part of the core focus team for the Truck of the Future project and the potential for fleet innovation.”
As part of the project, an innovative solution provider will be selected during a virtual, international pitch day on December 2, 2020. The chosen solution will be piloted in the U.S. and an international market in 2021. Ultimately, TSR and its partners’ vision is to create scalable and lasting change.