Warehouses are evolving fast: faster workflows, more automation, tighter spaces. But one thing hasn’t changed: the risk of collisions. According to OSHA, forklift accidents cause around 34,900 serious injuries and nearly 100 fatalities each year in the U.S. alone. Most of these incidents happen not because someone was careless, but because machines and people are working in close quarters without real-time visibility.

Traditional safety tools like mirrors, floor markings, and warning horns only go so far. They rely on human reaction, and in many cases, a split-second is all it takes for an accident to happen.

That’s why forward-looking operations are now turning to real-time collision avoidance systems: a shift that’s quickly becoming the new standard in workplace safety.

What Makes a Warehouse “Collision Smart”?

Imagine if every forklift could automatically slow down when it gets too close to a pedestrian, or if workers got a warning before they walked into a dangerous zone.

That’s the goal of modern proximity detection systems:

• Detect who and what is nearby
• Warn people and machine operators
• React before a collision happens

It’s not just about safety alerts anymore, it’s about automated intervention, built into the flow of work.

The technology behind this is getting smarter and more reliable. Among the most promising approaches is ultra-wideband (UWB), a high-precision radio technology that’s being adopted in sectors from automotive to logistics.

Enter SafeTruck: Turning Awareness Into Action

SafeTruck is Ziglift’s advanced collision avoidance system, and it’s built for the real-world complexity of warehouses and industrial sites.

Unlike traditional sensors that rely on vague signal strength or basic motion detection, SafeTruck uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to calculate precise distances between forklifts, workers, and infrastructure. That means faster, more accurate decisions before anything gets too close.

Here’s how it works:

• Workers wear SafeTags that communicate with vehicle-mounted sensors (SafeRadar)
• Machines detect proximity in real time, whether it’s a person, another forklift, or a fixed object
• “Smart zones” can be defined with SafePosts to trigger warnings or automatic slowdowns in high-risk areas like intersections or loading zones
• The system reacts instantly, issuing visual and audible alerts, or limiting machine speed based on how close and how fast things are moving

It’s not just alerting people, it’s actively helping them avoid danger.

Beyond Compliance: Safety That Scales

One of the major strengths of SafeTruck is that it’s modular. Whether you’re managing a single site or a multi-facility operation, you can start with simple alerts and scale up to full machine intervention.

More importantly, it helps meet and even exceed EHS requirements, making safety visible, measurable, and enforceable.

Learn More about SafeTruck

Collision avoidance isn’t just a safety feature—it’s becoming a core capability for modern warehouse operations. And solutions like SafeTruck are leading the way, combining reliable tech with real-world practicality.

If you’re thinking about how to future-proof your warehouse and protect your people, this is a conversation worth having.