The Town of Bow Tests Safety Cameras
Last winter, Chum Cleverly, the Public Works Director in Bow, tested a
new safety feature on a town’s plow truck. The device is a camera and monitor that
enables the driver to see the blind spot of the truck. The camera attaches under the
spreader, on the back of the truck, and the monitor is placed inside the cab. The
equipment was lent to the town by the manufacturer and installed in the truck that
Marcellino (Marc) Acebron drives. At first, Marc found the system a little distracting but
quickly warmed up to it. Marc said, "it is a great thing. Specially when you’re
backing out of a side street onto a main street or working in a bad intersection."
The system has many features, it turns on automatically when the truck
is put into reverse. The brightness of the monitor can be adjusted for day or nighttime
driving and the lens can be ordered with a protective shield (or shutter) to keep it from
being damaged. Chum suggests the unit "with the shutter so that snow and dust
can’t pack inside and injure the camera."
Chum’s crew liked the unit so much that they purchased two this year to install in their new trucks. They have plans to purchase more units next year. Chum says, currently the units are $800-1,200 each but prices are going down. For more information, contact the UNH T2 Center.
Editor’s note: Property Liability Trust purchased a unit for use at the Plow Rallies, like Marc, some people found the camera a bit distracting. But given Marc’s experience, they shouldn’t be discouraged.
Return to Fall 97.