We speak to Parksafe’s Peter Oughton about how the company is using technologies such as AI and GPS to try to cut down on dangerous incidents – and what the future might hold in this area
Prevention is better than a cure, says Parksafe Operations Director Peter Oughton more than once. It is a motto which is driving the sales pitch of a business in which road safety is its raison d’être.
Over its more than 40 years in the automotive industry, the company has switched its focus from what it calls the “nice to have” products such as CB radios and audio upgrades to safety solutions and, more recently, has been edging into the PSV market from an HGV background.
From its low-bridge detection system to artificial intelligence (AI) pedestrian detection, driver monitoring and stolen vehicle trackers, Parksafe offers a range of hardware and software designed to make the roads safer for drivers, passengers and the public.
The approach to safety on the road is changing, believes Peter. “We would always look at preventing rather than reacting to the incident. That’s our main sales pitch,” he says. “You used to put a dashcam in your car to save yourself due to all the ‘crash for cash’, etc, that was going around. But now the insurance companies are asking for that equipment.”
Low-bridge detection
The Low Bridge Detection System (LBDS) is among Parksafe’s most recent innovations and one which could prevent a significant issue for operators. Network Rail reported more than 1,800 bridge strikes during the 2021-22 financial year, although HGVs accounted for most of these. Such incidents can mean repair costs going into thousands of pounds for operators, but this may be the least of their worries. Aside from concerns over public safety, they can lead to the driver losing their PCV licence or the operator having an O-Licence revoked.
Parksafe this year launched LBDS after purchasing a database of thousands of low bridges identified in the UK. It then needed to check out every one and, after filtering out a majority which no longer existed, has 3,764 entries listed. It has been a time-consuming affair but Peter says: “We’ve reached the point where we know it’s a reliable database.” Too many false alerts would be a major flaw in the system.
The hardware installed on the vehicle by the company carries the database offline – so no data connection is required. When coupled with GPS and with heights and widths of the particular vehicle preset, LBDS issues the driver with an audible and visual alert at 300m away from the bridge.
It can be installed as a standalone product and powered by a cigarette lighter, or linked to the Parksafe On Demand online platform, which comprises the full suite of telematics, offering data such as speed, location, driver behaviour, idling and fuel consumption.
If there is a false alert, the driver can push a button to feed this back for Parksafe to investigate further. “It’s quite a simple project but the database is key for this,” Peter says. “We’ve taken away all of the driver interaction from the product, so all you’ve got is one red button so the driver can notify us of false alerts.”
Buses going off-route due to diversions can be a cause of bridge strikes, while Peter says that engineers taking vehicles out during a service can pose another threat in this regard. He says: “We’ve known of an incident where the engineer has serviced a single-decker bus, he’s taken it out on a road test, then got into a double-decker bus, done the same service, gone out on the route and hit a bridge because he was not aware he was in a double-decker.”
Digital mirrors
Digital mirrors are becoming increasingly popular as a way of eliminating blind spots. Particularly with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, Transport for London (TfL) has now made them a requirement for all new buses put into service. The other advantage is that there is no risk of hitting pedestrians with mirrors.
Parksafe has been putting them onto trucks for around seven years and is breaking into the PSV market thanks to a link-up with vehicle manufacturer Ilesbus.
“The HGV drivers didn’t like them at the start,” says Peter. “Now they love them because they understand them and how they work.”
Future applications of AI
AI is becoming an interesting application of technology for safety in the industry. In particular in this regard, Parksafe’s Pedestrian Detection Camera System is potentially a lifesaver, with pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists making up 81% of all people killed on London roads in 2021, according to TfL. The advantage of AI over more traditional sensors is that it can detect whether nearby objects are street furniture or vulnerable road users and, thus, cut down on false alarms. External alarms can also be fitted to sound alerts to pedestrians or cyclists who are too close. Integration with the Parksafe On Demand platform means fleet managers can view live footage remotely.
AI is also used in Parksafe’s futuristic-sounding Driver Monitoring System, which it is claimed monitors drivers for drowsiness or distraction. Here likewise, the remote facility enables operators to check on driver behaviour in real time.
Peter explains: “It will monitor the activity of the driver so, if they’re blinking and shutting their eyes a lot, if they’re tired, it will alert the driver to take a break. It will spot mobile-phone use, smoking, eating at the wheel, everything that could potentially cause an incident. It’s all about preventing it rather than finding out who is at fault afterwards.”
AI has the potential to do a lot more in future, Peter says — including, for example, when it comes to assessing the driver’s fitness to work. This could extend to suspecting if the driver is under the influence of alcohol or checking the driver credentials before the engine will start.
“The technology is growing and AI is a buzzword in the industry at the moment,” he says. “It’s very early days, but it could tell you every time you blink your eyes, every time you lift your hand, every time you look out of the window rather than looking at the road. But it’s okay having all that information but what do you do with it? The industry is learning how to process that data and put some algorithms in place that would allow the transport manager to get something out of it.”
However, when it comes to whether such real-time analysis could provide scope for allowing driver hours rules to be relaxed, he is more reticent. “I think we’re a long, long way from that,” he says. “It seems to work quite well now — everyone knows the rules and they stick to it with the tacho. I don’t think they would change that.”
Other products from Parksafe applicable to coach and bus include internal camera, dash cam, sensors and vehicle check app. The market is an expanding one for the business, which has around £1 million worth of stock at any one time, and Peter believes the only way is up.
“We’re getting more into the PSV area and we’re driven by where the market goes,” he says. “I think, over the next 10 years, we’re going to grow as a company.”
