Who hasn’t had trouble with their blind spot? Who hasn’t known the fear of seeing another vehicle appear of nowhere at the last second? Blind spots in the field of vision of heavy vehicle drivers, especially bus and truck drivers, are one of the key risk factors in urban areas. One problem is that classic rearview mirrors are no longer adapted to the increased traffic on our roads today.
Keolis has been testing out a new solution: replacing conventional rearview mirrors with rearview cameras, giving bus drivers a wider and more comprehensive view of their surroundings on two screens, thus eliminating any blind spots. ADAS technology—Advance Driver Assistance Systems—improves safety for vulnerable people by offering an extra wide field of vision, anti-glare screens that automatically adapt to ambient light and cameras that can withstand water and calcium build-up.
Matthias Sissoko
Head of Automotive Accounts at Vision Systems
"In a spirit of long-term collaboration, our testing successfully led to a product whose functionalities, ease of use and performance will enable bus drivers to operate with greater peace of mind."
Rearview cameras are a major factor for improving the bus driver workstation. The increased visibility of their immediate environment—especially of sidewalks—makes it easier to park at stops and reduces the gap between the sidewalk and running board. This anti-collision system has a significant impact in terms of reducing tire damage, which cost the Group 150,000 euros in 2020. Another major plus: the positive impact of the ergonomic screens on driver health. By reducing the number of head movements typically required to drive a bus, the system helps to reduce the chance of developing a musculoskeletal disorder. A study to confirm this benefit is now being carried out by Gustave Eiffel University, a key academic partner on this innovation project. .
Catherine Gabaude
Research Director at Gustave Eiffel University
"In this project, Gustave Eiffel University, an independent entity, lent its expertise to shed light on the decisions taken by Keolis Lyon and to recommend the use of rearview cameras."
SYTRAL, the Public Transport Authority for the Rhône region and Lyon urban area
Vision Systems, the technology partner
Gustave Eiffel University, for the validation test phases
Occupational medicine
Fondation MAIF, lending financial support
And the teams at Keolis Lyon
Marc Rigolot
Director of the Fondation MAIF
"The Keolis project, in alignment with SYTRAL, was both pertinent and innovative because it will enable advances, a rapid deployment and certainly a drop in accidents."
Since March, vehicles equipped with this ADAS technology have been transporting passengers, much to the satisfaction of drivers. The transit union for the Rhone region and Lyon urban area (SYTRAL)—which co-financed the solution at 50% with Keolis—participated in the rollout as well. The Fondation MAIF also lent its financial support to the project. Mindful that “the question of accidents involving vulnerable people, especially in cities, has become a major issue,” the foundation aimed to support “solutions to better understand, prevent and avoid accident risks” explains its director Marc Rigolot. The Lyon bus network is the first in France to implement this type of anticollision system. By 2027, SYTRAL aims to install rearview cameras on all 1,000 buses in its fleet.
150,000
€
cost of tire damage to the Keolis Group in 2020
5
partners involved in the rearview camera project
1,000
number of buses on which SYTRAL intends to install rearview cameras by 2027
At the 8th edition of the "Road Safety Innovation" competition held on March 13, 2024, this project received the Innovation Award in the Driver Assistance category! With this trophy, the 10 road safety experts who made up the jury recognize innovative solutions that significantly improve safety on our roads and in our cities. The bonus? The Retrovision project is now labeled "Road Safety Innovation Award Winner."
