A digital alerting system is an electronic notification sent directly to a driver. HAAS Alert leverages this technology, which is a form of vehicle-to-everything communication, to enable emergency and road maintenance vehicles to broadcast life-saving digital alerts that protect all roadway users. Any alerting vehicle or asset can be equipped with digital alerting technology. These notifications inform drivers that there is a nearby or upcoming roadway hazard and they need to slow down and move over.

HAAS Alert sends digital alerts up to 30 seconds in advance through its flagship platform, Safety Cloud®. These extra moments allow drivers more time to take appropriate action. This provides a critical layer of protection for emergency personnel and roadway workers, as digital alerting has been proven to reduce the risk of collision by 90 percent, compared to traditional lights alone. Emergency vehicle alert systems like digital alerting aids drivers earlier in making safer, smarter driving decisions, making it a key component of roadway safety. 

The evolving landscape of roadway safety

For generations, keeping our roads and those who work on them safe has relied on a core set of tools: flashing lights, audible sirens, reflective cones, and bright flares. Each of these innovations was designed with a singular, critical purpose: to capture a driver's attention and warn them of an upcoming hazard or an emergency responder at work. The goal has always been to give drivers enough time to react appropriately, to slow down, and to move over.

However, the roadway environment is constantly changing. Today's vehicles are designed to be quieter, often incorporating sound-deadening materials and even active noise-cancellation, which can make traditional sirens harder to hear. Inside the car, drivers face a new landscape of potential distractions, from complex infotainment centers to the ever-present temptation of personal devices.

While these modern advancements offer many benefits, they also present new challenges for traditional safety measures. When a driver's attention is divided, or when the cabin of their vehicle insulates them from external cues, the effectiveness of lights and sirens can be diminished.

This isn't to say these tools are obsolete; they remain vital. But the statistics still paint a concerning picture. Tens of thousands of collisions involving emergency and work vehicles occur annually. In 2017, for example, over 15,000 fire department vehicles were involved in collisions. These incidents can lead to tragic outcomes, with motor vehicle crashes being a significant factor in line-of-duty fatalities for both firefighters (up to 25% annually) and law enforcement officers (nearly 30% in the last decade).

Beyond the immeasurable human cost, these collisions have significant financial repercussions. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) estimates the average cost of a fatal collision involving a regular citizen at $11.2 million, encompassing everything from emergency services to lost productivity. Even non-fatal incidents involving emergency apparatus can cost communities millions in replacement and repair, reducing the resources available to keep everyone safe.

This evolving reality highlights the need for safety technology to evolve as well. Just as lights and sirens were once cutting-edge, we now have the opportunity to enhance these traditional methods with new tools designed for the modern driving experience. This is where the concept of digital alerting comes into play – not as a replacement, but as a powerful, complementary layer in our ongoing mission to protect those on our roadways. It’s about delivering those crucial warnings in a smarter, more direct way, ensuring that the message to "slow down and move over" is received clearly and with ample time to react, adapting our safety strategies to the realities of today's roads.

The state of Move Over laws

The first Move Over law was enacted in South Carolina in 1996 after a paramedic was struck by a passing vehicle and was found to be at fault. Dangerous situations such as that have led to every state implementing some form of Move Over laws between 2001 - 2012. These laws were designed to prevent collisions. They require drivers to slow down and move over to allow safe clearance to emergency personnel, roadside workers, and other incidents and hazards on the road.

The adoption of Move Over laws has been a gradual and state-specific process, with the journey towards implementing these laws taking a different course in each state. 

Additionally, states are continuously expanding and improving Move Over laws to make them more effective. These efforts are driven by driven responders and safety leaders looking to increase awareness and adherence. These expansions can include increased fines and harsher penalties, increased efforts in community education, and broader definitions for the vehicles and incidents that drivers should Slow Down and Move Over for.

Despite these efforts, challenges still persist. For example, in Delaware, drivers encountering an active emergency vehicle are required to move a lane not adjacent to the vehicle and reduce speed, while drivers in the same scenario in South Dakota are simply asked to reduce their speed.

These discrepancies create an uncertain and sometimes chaotic environment for emergency responders and all roadway users. As a result, while Move Over laws are a crucial part of first responder and roadway worker safety, they’re not always enough to save lives.

How digital alerting improves Move Over Law compliance

Move Over laws are crucial for ensuring the safety of emergency responders, tow truck operators, highway workers, and other motorists. Safety Cloud digital alerts reach drivers through their vehicle infotainment systems and navigation applications. 

They provide motorists with audible and visual warnings that can help them avoid collisions and safely follow their state’s Move Over laws. Innovative technology like Safety Cloud digital alerting offers automakers and policy makers new tools for making roads safer and smarter.

What is Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert? 

HAAS Alert is dedicated to reshaping global road safety through lifesaving mobility solutions. The driving force behind this vision is our flagship tool Safety Cloud®. It is an advanced collision prevention service that sends real-time digital alerts from emergency vehicles to drivers and connected cars via vehicle dashboards and infotainment systems, and navigation applications. The goal of Safety Cloud is to enable drivers to make safer, smarter driving decisions earlier.

Safety Cloud goes beyond collision risk reduction to include the following benefits:

• Operational efficiency: Safety Cloud offers a dashboard that enables users to dig into historical data such as incident statistics, and enhance safety initiatives.
• Streamlined traffic flow: Notify drivers about nearby lane closures in the area so they move lanes without congesting traffic.
• Expedited emergency operations: When a driver knows you're nearby, they can clear the path for your vehicle so your crew can get on-scene faster. 
• Safer on-scene environment: First responders and roadway workers are put their lives on the line to work on the side of the road are in danger simply by working along the road. But when nearby drivers know that your crew members are on scene, they'll be able to give you the space you need to safely do your job. 
• Move Over Law compliance: Digital alerts capture drivers' attention early so they can slow down and move over before reaching your vehicle.
• Peace of mind: Responding on the road is scary. But Safety Cloud digital alerts give your crew peace of mind that they'll make it home safely every night. 

How does Safety Cloud work?

Safety Cloud offers two different types of alerting services. The first is Responder-to-Vehicle (R2V) alerting, which are alerts sent from emergency or roadside personnel vehicles straight to civilian motorists. Safety Cloud customers can also add Responder-to-Responder (R2R) alerting on to their existing subscription. These alerts are sent from one Safety Cloud-equipped emergency vehicle to another, informing them that they're approaching the same intersection. 

Safety Cloud sends the two following types of alerts: 

• Moving alerts: These go out when you're en-route to an incident with your emergency vehicle warning lights. These alerts notify drivers in your path that you're approaching. Safety Cloud customers with both R2V and R2R service send out moving alerts.
• Stationary alerts: These alerts go out when your vehicle is parked on-scene while you're doing roadside work or responding to an incident. Once you've been stationary for 30 seconds, Safety Cloud broadcasts alerts to approaching drivers to warn them of your presence. Please note that these alerts are not applicable for R2R alerting.

Getting equipped with Safety Cloud is a quick and easy process. Emergency and municipal fleets can equip their vehicles with Safety Cloud through one of the three following methods:

• Preinstalled and prepaid on new apparatus: Safety Cloud comes preinstalled and prepaid on select vehicles and apparatus. When you select this option, your vehicle will come standard with digital alerting. 
• HA-7 transponder: The HAAS Alert HA-7 transponder is a piece of hardware that can be installed on any alerting vehicle. The transponder connects directly to your vehicle and synchronizes with your on-vehicle warning lights. That means whenever you activate your emergency lights, your vehicle will automatically begin to broadcast digital alerts.
• HA-D integration: Safety Cloud activates with leading fleet management and telematics solutions. If your fleet already uses one of our existing technology partners, you can activate service straight through that platform. 

How do drivers receive Safety Cloud alerts?

Safety Cloud safely delivers alerts to drivers in ways that they cannot miss. Right now, they receive alerts through one of the two following methods:

Navigation apps

Those who use the free navigation app Waze will receive both moving and stationary alerts. When an emergency vehicle is in their proximity, the Waze map will show the driver an emergency vehicle icon. Then, it displays a message that tells drivers an emergency vehicle is nearby and how far away it is. 

In-vehicle infotainment centers

Drivers of compatible Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicles (models 2018 and newer) also receive Safety Cloud digital alerts through Stellantis' Emergency Vehicle Alert System. When an emergency vehicle is nearby, drivers get an audible and visual alert directly from their vehicle's infotainment center. Drivers will hear two dings. Simultaneously, a caution message with the appropriate hazard message will appear on their infotainment center's screen. Those who drive 2024 and new Volkswagen vehicles will also reiceve Safety Cloud digital alerts.

How is a digital alert different from emergency vehicle preemption?

Emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) technology was created to help first responders on the scene faster and safer by adjusting traffic signals. EVP gives emergency response vehicles a green light on their approach to an intersection while providing a red light to conflicting approaches. Emergency vehicles are given the ability to communicate with traffic lights through a piece of hardware or direct integrations. 

EVP is a lifesaving technology, just like digital alerting. Since vehicles equipped with EVP have the power to change traffic lights, this technology greatly reduces the chance of emergency vehicle-related collisions at intersections. EVP enables emergency responders to get on-scene fast, giving them the opportunity to provide medical attention to members of the community as quickly as possible.

While they do have similarities, digital alerting and EVP are not the same thing. Digital alerting on its own has nothing to do with traffic lights. Emergency vehicles equipped with a digital alerting system like Safety Cloud communicate with other vehicles on the road instead of traffic lights. When an emergency vehicle broadcasts a digital alert, it simply notifies nearby drivers to temporarily slow down and move over, instead of stopping for a red light.

Despite their differences, there is a use case for EVP and digital alerting to come together as a cutting-edge vehicle-to-everything solution. Take the partnership between HAAS Alert and LYT.emergency. LYT activates green lights for emergency vehicles and Safety Cloud notifies drivers when there's an emergency vehicle nearby. This integration provides emergency vehicles with the best of both worlds — emergency vehicles can alert drivers of their presence while activating green lights en route to an emergency situation.

EVP and digital alerting are separate, yet equally important, pieces of road safety technology. But when they're brought together, they have the opportunity to create safer and more connected roads for everyone.

A digital alerting system goes beyond sending notifications to drivers. It's a solution designed to protect roadway workers and emergency responders so they can keep our roads safer. Want to learn how to better protect your crew and community? Reach out today to learn what Safety Cloud can do for you.

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