(FORS) Full Steam A head with Version 6
The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is a voluntary scheme for fleet operators aimed at raising the level of best practice within the transport business, and demonstrate which operators are achieving exemplary higher levels of safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.
Although first released back in October 2021 (FORS) Version 6 is now live (1st of July 2022) and additional requirements have been included into the FORS accreditation scheme at all three levels: bronze, silver and gold.
FORS now recommends that operators fit nearside and offside cameras, with rigid vehicles over 7.5 tonnes being required to fit additional rear camera systems which will provide the driver with all-round vehicle vision.
All round vision can be achieved with Brigade’s Backeye®360, an intelligent camera monitor system designed to assist low-speed manoeuvring by providing the driver with a complete surround view of the vehicle in real-time.
The four-camera technology is designed to eliminate vehicle blind spots and assist manoeuvrability in challenging situations by providing the driver with a complete 360-degree view of their vehicle in a real-time single image.
Another change in the specification requires operators of right-hand drive vehicles to fit an additional audible alert for when turning right. Previously the guidance was to fit nearside audible alerts for left turning vehicles. The nearside blind spot was considered the most dangerous for vulnerable road users.
At Silver level, operators are encouraged to fit cameras that are “able to digitally record incidents and assist in driver training and development”.
SMUK are aware that legislation is becoming more of a concern than ever before not least because courts are expecting fleet managers to provide evidence of driver/vehicle behaviour in order to understand what occurred. SMUK have been championing Brigade’s Mobile Digital Recording (MDR) system which captures footage from vehicle-mounted cameras to both encourage driver best practice and provide evidence in the case of an incident…
Not having this may find the driver, fleet manager and business owner with a hefty fine or potentially a custodial sentence.
At Gold level, the highest FORS specification, operators must review the fleet operation to improve road safety and efficiency. They must evaluate sustainable ways of working, including how technology can optimise operations.
BRIDGE Cloud Services uses MDR systems to capture footage from up to 16 vehicle-mounted cameras, providing live insights to help improve efficiency, safety and reduce costs for fleet managers.
BRIDGE uses 4G connectivity to allow data to be accessed from the recorder anytime, anywhere, without having to physically go to the vehicle. This allows a fleet manager to remotely monitor vehicle operations in real-time and advise the driver if something has gone wrong, meaning the vehicle does not have to use up time and fuel to drive back to the depot to obtain footage.
At SMUK we believe this is by far the most progressive option as fleet managers have the opportunity to learn driver behaviour and where possible eradicate or at the very least reduce the potential of a roadside incident by improving driver efficiency.
To find out more about the FORS specifications and how Brigade Electronics can assist you in making your fleet compliant, contact us today and speak to our dedicated team.