Canadian Occupational Safety

April/May 2016 15 time goes on," says Adams. But new technology should be paired with behavioural change to ensure the best results, according to Aune. "Things that we do when we drive get ingrained in us, we do them auto- matically, that's why most crashes happen; we are in automatic mode, we're not thinking about the drive, we are simply driving, we're thinking about everything else for that matter," he says. "Driving becomes second or third nature." The fi rst step in changing behaviour is creating awareness. For example, the driver has to be aware that rolling through a stop sign is dangerous, and this can be done through information sharing, statistics and concrete exam- ples. The second step is for the driver to assess herself as to whether or not that issue is a problem for her. "You might have half the people in the room who don't roll through stop signs but the other half do. You might have half the people in the room who consistently go over the speed limit where half don't. The individuals them- selves have to sit back and say, 'Yeah, that's a problem for me,'" says Aune. The third step in the behavioural change model is to give people the tools to fi x the behaviour, such as technology. The last two steps are motivation and support. "We all too often use discipline. We wait until someone screws up and then we punish them instead of taking those individuals who were trying to change their behaviour and support- ing them and motivating them by telling them they are doing a good job — make it a positive experience rather than a negative experience," says Aune. INCORPORATING THESE FEATURES When choosing what technologies they want in their fl eets, employers need to look at what's causing their incidents and, more importantly, their near misses, says Aune. "Once they get a handle on what those issues are then they can look at the technology that will help the employee, and the employer for that matter, manage those types of events," he says. For companies with big fleets, forward warning systems, automatic braking systems and backup cameras should be a priority because the most common scenario that employers are paying out is a rear-end collision, says McGehee. Most employers will experience these new technologies as they replace their old fl eets with new vehicles. McGehee hopes the MyCarDoesWhat. org campaign will show employers what's possible when it comes to new safety technologies. "We hope it will inspire them to look beyond trying to keep the sim- plest car with just an AM radio in it and take a look at what other technol- ogies will be possible," says McGehee. "The more of these technologies you have the less risk you expose yourself to down the road." The cars with more safety features might be a bit more expensive, but safety professionals can get man- agement buy-in by crunching the numbers. "When you can show them $1 over here will save $4 down the road and maybe $10 back on that investment long term… It's the all-mighty dollar, I hate to say it, but that's what it boils down to," says Aune. In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced high- tech changes to the NHTSA's fi ve-star safety rating system for new vehicles. The new system will, for the fi rst time, encompass assessment of crash avoid- ance and advanced technologies, such as automatic emergency braking, as well as pedestrian protection. The ratings under the new system will be seen in model year 2019 vehicles. (This system is only for vehicles sold in the U.S.) "It's really exciting," says McGehee. "Twenty-fi ve years ago our prototypes were in $200,000 test cars and now they're in $25,000 Subarus." Of course all of these technologies lead up to cars that drive themselves. Google has been testing self-driving cars since 2009 and several prototypes are being tested right now. Google plans to make these cars available to the public in 2020. • Drowsiness alert: Alerts you if you're drowsy and suggests you take a break. • Traction control: Works in the background to help accelerate and prevent wheel slippage when driving on slippery surfaces. • Curve speed warning: Warns you when you're approaching a curve or exit on the road too quickly. • Electronic braking assistance: Adds additional braking power to your car during emergency stops. • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some may even brake for you to avoid obstacles. • Pedestrian detection: Uses advanced sensors to detect human movements. • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Automatic parallel parking: Helps guide you into a parallel parking spot. • Traction control: Works in the background to help accelerate and prevent wheel • Curve speed warning: Warns you when you're approaching a curve or exit on the road too quickly. • Electronic braking assistance: Adds additional braking power to your car during emergency stops. • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Pedestrian detection: Uses advanced sensors to detect human movements. • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Automatic parallel parking: Helps guide you into a parallel parking spot. • Curve speed warning: Warns you when you're approaching a curve or exit on the road too quickly. • Electronic braking assistance: Adds additional braking power to your car during emergency stops. • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Road surface warning: Provides you updates about upcoming roadway conditions such as black ice. • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Obstacle detection: Can sense slow-moving or stationary objects when driving at low speeds. Some • Pedestrian detection: Uses advanced sensors to detect human movements. automated version. In 2017, Volvo will put 100 self-driving cars on the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden, with real cus- tomers in the driver's seat as part of the Drive Me project. The company says it's a part of the journey towards a crash- free future. "We know (these technologies) are much better than the human driver," says McGehee. "Ninety-fi ve per cent of car crashes are driver error and for employers, that is really the main thing: Crashes are due to driver error not due to bad maintenance, not due to blown tires, brake failure. Mechanical systems are very reliable today and driver error is really the issue you're battling." As of Jan. 1, Ontario became the fi rst province in Canada to allow driv- erless cars to be tested on its roads. The University of Waterloo has a lab dedi- cated to self-driving vehicles. In May 2015, the fi rst self-driving semi-truck hit the road in the U.S. The Daimler 18-wheeler takes over on the highway, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles and staying in its own lane. The driver reads a newspa- per, drinks his coffee and monitors the system. The truck is currently in the testing phase. The Volvo McGehee and I were driving around Atlanta was a semi-autonomous vehicle and the predecessor to a fully TECH SAVVY Here's a sample of some of the technologies available in cars on the market today. TECH SAVVY TECH SAVVY TECH SAVVY ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Ansell Limited or one of its a iliates. © 2016 All Rights Reserved. 11-800 Comfort 11-840 Durability 11-801 Comfort & Dirt-Masking 11-818 Dexterity 4 DISTINCT SOLUTIONS. 1 COMPLETE PORTFOLIO. a more COMFORTABLE day at work. ™ For further information call: 1-800-363-8340 Join us at the PIP show, booth #652 Ansell_NA Execution_HyFlex Comfort Canadian Ad_4,25x5,75_16-03-15_FD.indd 1 15.03.2016 09:17:09

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