Nov 25 2009
Transportation Safety Technologies (TST), an industry leader in the design and manufacture of a wide array of electronic components for the specialty vehicle industry, announces today that Ray's Trash Service, Inc. has committed to implement its Eagle Eye™ obstacle detection system in 300 of its disposal vehicles.
As the largest independent recycling and waste disposal operation in Indianapolis, Ind., Ray's Trash Service implemented this groundbreaking technology to increase its drivers’ awareness of all potentially dangerous areas surrounding the vehicle and improve public safety.
Eagle Eye monitors side and rear “blind areas” or “no zones” for vehicles or objects. The dash-mounted digital display visually and audibly alerts drivers to potential contact beginning at 8 to 10 feet away from the vehicle and improves overall driver hazard awareness. Eagle Eye is a rugged and extreme grade product specifically designed for harsh use. It consists of up to seven weather resistant strategically mounted sensors around the truck and a single driver alert module (DAM) inside the cab, which are heated to prevent ice and snow build-up.
“Keeping our neighborhoods and pedestrians safe is a top priority of our company,” said Don Matthews, president of Ray’s Trash Services. “With Eagle Eye, our drivers can easily see if any person or object is located near our vehicles. This ‘extra set of eyes’ will play a huge role in avoiding damage, injury and accident costs. Every trash vehicle needs this technology.”
Eagle Eye enables Ray’s Trash Service’s drivers to more safely maneuver tight spots, deliver in uncontrolled environments, make right turns onto narrow streets, back up and drive in crowded traffic. The technology is proven to decrease the number of driver accidents by 75 percent, as well as reducing the number of pick-ups, frustrated customers, vehicle damages and insurance costs.
“The typical lifetime cost of accidents is $3,000 per vehicle or more,” said Kirk Knobel, sales and customer service manager for TST. “Eagle Eye lowers the overall cost of ownership for trucks and provides a 200 to 500 percent return on investment. This equates to a one to two year payback for most customers.”
The Eagle Eye technology is used by more than 35 organizations across the country.