Austrian Post is equipping its entire truck fleet with turning assistants. This voluntary conversion of the current 140 vehicles should be completed by the third quarter of 2020 at the latest, the company announced in a press release.
Austrian Post has already started a system selection and tests both sensor-based and sensor-optical systems, which are already approved in Germany, for example. The cost for the conversion of the systems currently available on the market amounts to EUR 2,000 to EUR 4,000 per truck.
The European Union envisages the mandatory standard equipment for trucks with turning assistants from 2022 onwards in all new vehicle types and from 2024 onwards in all new vehicles. Thus, the company is taking an important step towards increasing road safety on Austrian roads and protecting the weakest road users such as cyclists, pedestrians and especially children.
The pilot project will start in mid-October. On the one hand, this can increase traffic and vehicle safety and, on the other hand, avoid accidents. Active driver assistance such as predictive collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist collision warning, distance monitoring or lane keeping warning protect drivers from accidents.
In addition, both active and passive engine and transmission control by signals on reaching certain parameters (handbrake, tire pressure, service, etc.) can protect the vehicle and thus reduce costs. The cost of this pilot project amounts to about EUR 120,000.
