BRAKING & COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The commercial vehicle industry is rapidly
moving toward autonomous trucks. When it
will get to the point where partially or fully
autonomous vehicles dominate our nation’s
highways is a topic of debate.
Many of the technologies needed for autonomous
vehicles already are available. High automation
(SAE Level 4), where the vehicle can
perform all driving functions under certain
conditions, has been demonstrated and is being
46 Fleet Maintenance | October 2018
tested on designated stretches of highways. In
addition, autonomous technology like platooning
also is being tested by a number of companies
on the country’s 10 “proving grounds” for
autonomous vehicle technology.
While many of the technologies for autonomous
trucks are in place, the support infrastructure
has yet to emerge. Th at is the critical
element to large-scale autonomy which likely
will take several years, possibly even decades,
and major investment from the U.S., as well as
individual states and municipalities to reach
any signifi cant scale.
Focus on safety first
In the meantime, advanced driver assistance
systems (ADAS), including a suite of active
safety technologies, are critical as the industry
progresses toward autonomous vehicles. ADAS
technologies are designed to help drivers keep
trucks and buses in the proper lane,
at the correct speed, while helping
to prevent accidents like
rollovers or collisions.
For example, some
systems provide full braking
even at highway speed to
help avoid impending rearend
collisions. Others help
prevent accidents by warning
drivers of potential rear-end
collisions and intervene if needed, or provide
active steering to keep a vehicle in its lane.
When ADAS technologies are connected,
they combine the active braking and steering
capabilities needed for an autonomous vehicle.
By providing longitudinal vehicle control
(active braking) with lateral vehicle control
(active steering), ADAS technologies lay the
foundation for platooning and provide critical
functions to enable autonomous driving in the
global commercial vehicle industry.
What’s important now as the industry moves
toward autonomy is that these technologies are
making the roads safer and providing a much
improved driving experience today.
IHS Markit conducted an analysis of crash
avoidance technologies, including electronic
stability control, forward collision warning,
blind spot and lane departure. Findings from
the study concluded “a combination of four
crash avoidance features has the potential to
prevent or mitigate more than one of every four
large truck crashes, one of every three injury
crashes and about one of fi ve fatal crashes if
every rig had them.”
Some ADAS technologies currently on the
market can have an even more profound eff ect
on accident reduction. Active braking safety
systems, such as Wabco’s OnGuardACTIVE,
help alert the driver to potentially critical driving
situations and provide active braking on moving,
stopping and stationary vehicles to mitigate or
prevent impending rear-end collisions. Fleets
using OnGuardACTIVE report up to an 87
percent reduction in rear-end collisions, and up
to 95 percent reduction in rear-end accident costs.
In addition, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Association (FMCSA) is promoting voluntary
adoption of lane departure warning systems
to trucking fl eets to encourage safe driving
behaviors and reduce crashes. According to
a study by the FMCSA, the adoption of lane
departure warning systems, such as Wabco’s
OnLaneALERT, can help vehicles stay in their
lane, keep drivers on the right track, help
reduce crashes by 48 percent and provide
economic benefi t of $1.2 billion annually.
Advancements with
brake technology
Whether looking at safety-related
technologies today or looking
The road to autonomy
starts with brakes
Advanced driver assistance
systems, including braking
technology, pave the way for
autonomous commercial vehicles.
By Jon Morrison
PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAS, WABCO
Wabco is a provider of electronic braking, stability, suspension
and transmission automation systems for the
commercial vehicle market. Before serving as president
of the Americas, Morrison previously served as Vice
President Vehicle Dynamics and Controls for the company,
and as President and General Manager of Meritor Wabco,
a previous joint venture between Meritor and Wabco. His
30-year career includes responsibilities in finance, manufacturing,
sales and marketing and engineering as well as
managing global customer relationships.
» Wabco’s OnGuardACTIVE alerts the driver
to potentially critical driving situations via
acoustic, visual and haptic signals. Should the
vehicle operator fail to take corrective action,
the system provides active braking on moving,
stopping and stationary vehicles to mitigate
or prevent impending rear-end collisions.
Graphic courtesy of Wabco
» Wabco MAXXUS air disc brakes
provide high-performance
brake power to significantly
reduce stopping distance
of commercial vehicles.
Photo courtesy of Wabco