Tackling vehicle theft with Vision Techniques
Vision Techniques supplies a range of vehicle security and safety solutions to help customers maintain fleet oversight and manage risk.
Dave Smith, general manager at Vision Techniques, said: “Our company’s purpose has always been to save lives. We’ve invested in developing new technologies that help our clients make their fleets safer.
“One particular risk area is theft and rollaways, that’s why we developed VT Ident Plus to increase vehicle safety and security.”
The technology employed by the system prevents theft and injuries stemming from inexperienced and unauthorised usage of hazardous on-board equipment. Moreover, it effectively bars unauthorised individuals from operating the vehicle.
A noteworthy feature of this system is its built-in anti-rollaway function. In cases where the driver departs the vehicle without applying the parking brake, the system issues both an audible warning and automatically engages the brakes. The driver can then manually engage the handbrake and reset the system.
VT Ident Plus allows special authorisation to be granted for individual operators, dependent on their experience or duties. The system prevents theft or injury caused by the untrained and unauthorised use of dangerous on-board equipment and prevents unauthorised people driving the vehicle, significantly reducing the risk of accidents.
“RFID technology can offer multiple levels of identification for your users,” said Vision Techniques.
“It can also be tailored to your needs, your vehicles, and your industry.
“The usage of RFID technology introduces a diverse set of tiers for identifying users. This approach can be finely tailored to suit your requirements, the vehicles in your fleet, and the industry you operate within. Within the vehicle, strategically positioned control readers are programmed to interact with authorisation tags worn by operatives. These tags are unique to their respective roles.
“Upon presentation by the user, the VT Ident Plus system permits access to the vehicle or machinery, contingent upon possessing the appropriate authorisation level.
“RFID technology provides a wide range of identification options for your team members, affording you the flexibility to grant or restrict access as needed. Unlike competing systems that rely on Active RFID, where the tag reader scans for tags within a wireless zone to grant access as users approach, we employ Passive RFID. This method ensures that the crew cannot simply leave their tags within range of the reader, such as on the side of their seats or the dashboard.”
Among users of VT Ident Plus are many local authorities, a leading waste management contractor and a large nationwide vehicle hire company. In a recent testimonial received on the product, their customer stated: “The decision wasn’t a financial decision, it was made on public and personnel safety grounds. It was an easy decision to make in the fact that if unauthorised use of our vehicles does occur there is a significant liability for us, but above all, our ultimate goal is public safety.
“This was a genuinely viable safety system that did what it needed to do. It wasn’t too expensive; the benefits definitely outweighed the initial cost.”
Dave Smith concluded: “For many organisations in the private and public sector, the focus on vehicle security and safety is only going to increase and rightly so, and while there’s a need to operate fleets efficiently, we’re seeing that many of our customers are putting safety and security first.”
