From 2019 to 2023, vehicle accidents took the lives of 251 first responders. Viral incidents, like a car spinning across a highway and almost hitting an officer, underscore the urgent need for enhanced safety measures. At CES 2025, Oshkosh, a leading industrial truck manufacturer, introduced a promising solution adapted from Corvette Racing technology developed by Pratt Miller Motorsports.
Pratt Miller's racing teams use rear-facing cameras and radar to track vehicles approaching from behind, giving drivers critical information such as:
- Speed and trajectory of approaching vehicles
- Predictive path and line-of-sight analysis
- Vehicle class identification
The Collision Avoidance Mitigation System (CAMS) repurposes this technology to monitor parked emergency vehicles. It evaluates:
- Speed and trajectory of nearby vehicles
- Collision threats based on proximity and movement
This adaptation is crucial for enhancing the situational awareness and safety of first responders in high-risk areas.
CAMS uses one or two video camera/radar units per vehicle. Independent of a police cruiser's existing safety sensors, it features:
- AI-driven compute stack for swift threat analysis
- Data recording for accident analysis and claims support
The system can be customized to issue warnings via:
- Lights or horn
- Audible signals
- Future haptic alerts to wearable devices
These varied alerts are vital in noisy and visually overwhelming accident scenes.
Oshkosh envisions CAMS being adapted to a scalable architecture suitable for vehicles such as:
- Fire trucks and tow trucks
- Snow plows
- Law enforcement and school buses
While Oshkosh hasn't disclosed pricing for CAMS, its implementation promises substantial safety benefits. Expect these life-saving technologies to debut in 2026.
Corvette Racing technology is set to revolutionize safety for first responders by mitigating vehicle collision threats. Adapted for a wide range of emergency vehicles, this innovative system could significantly decrease response-related fatalities, with initial deployments expected in 2026.
