Reverse safely
Full title: Reverse safely – focus on heavy trucks in urban environments (Backa säkert – fokus på tunga lastbilar i stadsmiljö)
Reversing heavy trucks are a recurring risk to pedestrians, cyclists and workers in urban environments, where the area directly behind the vehicle is hard or impossible for the driver to see. Backa Säkert tests a solution that detects vulnerable road users behind the truck and warns both the driver and the people around the vehicle – the latter with a low-frequency sound that is felt, not only heard. If the driver does not react, the system brakes automatically; it can be switched off, e.g. during shunting. The solution is field-tested on a refuse truck and most likely also on a jetting truck in different scenarios. Results are shared at a demonstration event and in a final evaluation.
Traffic safety benefit: Fewer reversing collisions with pedestrians and cyclists behind heavy trucks in cities – by combining detection, warnings to both driver and surroundings, and automatic braking.
Connection to other projects: Builds on the Skyltfonden project “Det blir inget med det – Trafiksäkerhetens villkor i en förändrad avfallshantering” (Koucky & Partners, 2025), which highlighted reversing as a high-risk moment for refuse trucks. In the SAFER pre-study AuST, drivers also asked for this kind of support.
Key words: Reversing, heavy trucks, urban environment, vulnerable road users, AEB reverse, refuse truck
