Evaluation of Coverhaul 18 Technology

Blind spots around commercial vehicles are known to be a significant contributing factor in commercial vehicle crashes. Researchers at the Kentucky Transportation Center have been made aware of a technology, developed here in Kentucky that appears to hold significant promise for reducing the frequency of commercial vehicle crashes that involve blind spots. The technology, known as "Coverhaul18" uses special sensors mounted on the commercial vehicle trailer unit, along with a display unit mounted in the vehicle cab, to provide detection and notification of objects in the vehicle's blind spots. When the system is installed and operational, it provides the commercial vehicle driver with an indication if there is any object within 15 feet, either alongside or behind the vehicle. The display uses an intuitive pattern of colored lights to indicate both the location of the object and its proximity to the vehicle. Early versions of the Coverhaul18 technology were pilot-tested on several commercial vehicles and on one university transit vehicle. These pilot deployments resulted in some glowing reviews and recommendations from the system users and drivers. However, no formal evaluation of the system has been performed, so the only information currently available on system performance is either anecdotal or vendor provided. There is a need for an objective, structured, trustworthy evaluation of this technology.