It’s a case in which the number 1.2 looms unfortunately large: According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s most recent Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts, the number of accidents involving a large truck – one greater than 10,000 pounds in gross vehicle combination weight – averaged out to one every 1.2 minutes in 2015.
“While many fewer than light vehicles, and often not the fault of the commercial vehicle driver, these crashes, regrettably, still occur. Luckily, most of those crashes involve property damage only,” said Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC. “But there are still thousands of injury-causing crashes; and between 2014 and 2015, the U.S. saw an increase in fatality crashes involving large trucks. When we talk about how ‘the future is now,’ it’s because the need is now.”
That need fuels Bendix to drive conversations and provide insight across the full range of participants in the commercial vehicle and transportation industries, from fleets and drivers to potential investors in safety technology companies, trade associations, and insurance partners.
“Whether we’re discussing evolving technologies such as collision mitigation and platooning or the regulatory environment and legislative issues, all of these topics are linked and have ramifications in many areas of the industry,” Andersky said. “That’s why it’s so important that these conversations take place across the spectrum and cover so much ground, whether it’s the technical aspects of fusing radar and cameras, examining policymaking, or providing insurers with in-depth, up-to-date information on real-world results.”
In May, Bendix discussed these issues in a call with Stifel Financial Corporation on advancements in truck safety and automation technology; on a panel at the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association’s Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.; and in presentations to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), Nationwide Insurance, and School Transportation News (STN).
Today’s Results, Tomorrow’s Goals
The technologies already making a difference on the commercial vehicles and roads of North America – things like full-stability and collision mitigation systems – are also the proven foundations for even safer trucks and more advanced driver assistance capabilities in the future. Sensors paired with antilock braking system (ABS) technology, for instance, helps form the basis for full-stability systems like Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program. That platform is, in turn, the foundation for Bendix Wingman collision mitigation technology, which features more sensors and a forward-facing radar. Bendix’s most advanced collision mitigation system, Wingman Fusion, adds a forward-facing camera, plus more powerful computing, enhancing performance and capabilities.
Bendix points to the real-world results of a customer fleet equipping Wingman collision mitigation technology. “This particular fleet saw a 70 percent reduction in the number of rear-end collisions, and a 70 percent reduction in the severity of the remaining 30 percent,” Andersky said. “A lot of these reductions really depend on the fleet’s operating profile. But the bottom line is that with collision mitigation technology, fleets can see an improvement, with the range varying depending on their particular situation.”
The more information that goes into these systems, the better decisions they will be able to make, providing more robust interventions earlier, and with fewer false activations. These systems will advance and be able to mitigate larger amounts of crash energy as the industry develops further enhancements of camera and radar technologies, “smarter” algorithms with improved object and situation recognition, and vehicular communications with other vehicles and infrastructure. Steering intervention and stronger deceleration are also among the next steps in driver assistance technology.
“All that said, the future remains automated – not autonomous,” Andersky said. “Although there may be some very limited autonomous applications in the near future, such as yard maneuvering, we see drivers remaining essential to safe and efficient commercial vehicle operation for quite a while.”
Andersky noted that Bendix safety technologies complement safe driving practices and are not intended to enable or encourage aggressive driving. No commercial vehicle safety technology replaces a skilled, alert driver exercising safe driving techniques and proactive, comprehensive driver training. Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times.
Discussing Regulations and ROI
In addition to the industry’s pursuit of fewer accidents, Bendix observes that government regulations and return on investment also play an important part in adoption of safety technologies.
Regarding regulations, Bendix prefers to let the market be the catalyst that drives safety technology, although the company supports the upcoming mandate of electronic stability control technology (full stability) over roll-only technology, also known as RSC. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will implement the mandate for vehicles with a gross weight rating of greater than 26,000 pounds in three phases: starting August 1, 2017, for Class 7 and 8 6x4 tractors – a majority of today’s tractors; June 24, 2018, for Class 8 buses; and August 1, 2019, for most remaining Class 7 and 8 highway tractor and motorcoach applications.
“We’ve applauded this mandate because, without a doubt, it will help reduce the incidence of both rollover and loss-of-control crashes, which can be incredibly devastating and dangerous for drivers, passengers, other vehicles on the road, the environment, and the infrastructure,” Andersky said. “Taking steps that will put more full-stability systems on the road and lower the number of these occurrences can only be a good thing.”
NHTSA has conducted studies on the first generations of collision mitigation, he added, but advances in technology have already outpaced the results, making it unlikely that a collision mitigation mandate is coming soon.
“The rapid evolution of these systems makes it clear that knowledge-sharing on the challenges of deploying these technologies – as well as the implications of policymaking decisions on suppliers and the transportation industry as a whole – is vital to our collective efforts toward safety,” Andersky said.
When it comes to return on investment (ROI), Bendix understands that fleets have to make hard decisions about managing their resources – and that strong ROI is essential if fleets are to embrace advanced safety technologies. One of Bendix’s goals is to strengthen return on investment in today’s advanced equipment by delivering safety, vehicle performance and efficiency, and post-sales support. Measuring ROI involves many factors, with one prominent aspect being fleet and vehicle insurance.
“Insurers look at risk profiles and the things that fleets do to reduce the risk of crashes – such as adding technologies like collision mitigation, full stability, and air disc brakes,” Andersky said. “Crashes can be extremely expensive depending on their severity and frequency. The ability to reduce those incidents – or lessen their severity – really helps in terms of being able to lower the cost of operations, as the money to cover the cost of those crashes comes right out of your profit margin.
“Ultimately, safety isn’t an ‘either/or’ decision – it’s an ‘and’ decision: It’s not just adding technology that’s going to make your fleet safer, but it’s adding technology, training your drivers, keeping your trucks in good shape, and many other factors.”
