Voxx, ESS Partnering on Availability of Vehicle Hazard Warning Tech

Voxx is partnering with Emergency Safety Solutions (ESS) to make the Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol (H.E.L.P.) available to 280 million passenger and commercial vehicles on the road via aftermarket kits, the companies said Tuesday. The agreement broadens availability of H.E.L.P. technology, including the manufacture and distribution of solutions to automakers, Tier 1 suppliers, aftermarket, trucking, and powersports markets to help prevent collisions with vulnerable vehicles on the road, they said. H.E.L.P. digital alerts send notifications to oncoming drivers through in-vehicle displays and GPS navigation apps to give advance warning as they approach a disabled vehicle, they said. Lighting alerts are tuned hazard flash patterns that signal urgency to oncoming drivers, prompting them to slow down and move over. H.E.L.P. auto deploys when conditions indicate a safety need, such as a collision, tire blowout, driveline failure or inattentive driver takeover in an autonomous driving application, they said; drivers can also activate H.E.L.P. manually when the hazard signal is engaged and the vehicle is in park. Under the agreement, Voxx Automotive will design and manufacture H.E.L.P. OEM accessory and aftermarket kits for sale across Voxx Automotive and ESS sales channels. The scope of the agreement also includes H.E.L.P. DeliverSAFE, a specialized version of H.E.L.P. tailored to heavy-duty, long-haul, and commercial delivery vehicles. The partnership will “significantly accelerate the broader adoption of H.E.L.P. to save lives on the road by modernizing the 71-year-old hazard warning system” used on current passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, said ESS President David Tucker.