The EVT-300 system was originally introduced into six Averitt tractors during a 60-day test period, said Eaton. During the first 30 days, the system was actively tracking obstacles and recording events, but there were no indicator lights or other warnings for the drivers to provide a scientific control group, the company said.
In the second 30 days, the drivers were provided with the Eaton Vorad driver display unit, signaling with warning lights and tones when slower moving objects were in their path, or when another vehicle was in their blind spot behind the cab to the right. An Eaton Vorad “VIMS” data recorder kept track of driver and truck behavior throughout the 60-day test, and the two test periods were compared against one another.
Averitt said the results from the second 30 days showed that its drivers increased following distance, giving them more time to react to traffic situations ahead of the truck. The company added that its drivers adapted well to the Vorad system after training and familiarization – commenting that they especially appreciated the blind spot detection feature.
