Page 39 - ATR 4 2015 web

controlling stability

How new regulation plans to make safer roadways

Electronic Onboard
By Todd Traub Recorders (EOBR) in
Contributing Writer becoming as com-
mon a truck feature
The sudden loss of vehicle control is as windshield wipers
startling, to say the least. and headlights.
Not so startling is the introduc-
tion of a rule that mandates technology Making a
designed to keep vehicles under control. ManDaTe
In early June the National Highway In 2007 a federal
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandate required
finalized its rule requiring electronic automakers to install
stability control (ESC) systems on heavy ESC systems in all
trucks and large buses by 2017. passenger cars, SUVs,
The technology has been required vans and pickup
in passenger cars for several years and trucks built on or
available for heavy trucks, though not after Sept. 1, 2011
mandated, for longer than that. and the phase-in
“ESC is a remarkable success story, schedule ensuring
a technology innovation that is already compliance on all
saving lives in passenger cars and light 2012 model year
trucks,” U.S. Transportation Secretary vehicles.
Anthony Fox said when announcing the Statistics showed that in a period Ted Scott, engineering director with
rule in June. “Requiring ESC on heavy from 2008-2010 more than 2,200 lives the American Trucking Associations,
trucks and large buses will bring that were saved by the technology. explains that there two types of stability
safety innovation to the largest vehicles NHTSA has been working on the control systems on the market: stability
on our highways, increasing safety for rule for commercial trucks for three control for tractor roll (RSC) and elec-
drivers and passengers of these vehicles years or more with guidance from tronic stability control (ESC) for loss of
and for all road users.” Congress via the federal highway bill directional control. The systems reduce
According to NHTSA estimates, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st the tractor’s throttle and apply brakes to
electronic stability mandate will annu- Century (Map-21) enacted in 2012. decelerate if they detect a rollover risk
ally save 49 lives, prevent up to 1,759 Thus the June announcement was or a threshold of instability, said Scott,
crashes and lead to a net $300 million not only unsurprising to the trucking adding that RSC is available on some
in economic benefits. industry, it was also welcome by some. trailers.
NHTSA reported to Congress in “Ensuring the safety of America’s “There are around 600 driver fatali-
May that rollover accidents and passen- highways has always been ATA’s high- ties per year, many caused by single
ger ejections were the greatest threats to est calling,” said Bill Graves, president vehicle crashes,” Scott said. “Many
truck driver safety. and CEO of the American Trucking of those are rollover crashes, and the
So it appears ESC, which automati- Associations, in a statement following driver is ejected (wearing seat belts will
cally maintains directional control in the announcement. “And we’ve long help). Stability control systems, either
instances in which a driver cannot known the positive role technology can roll stability or electronic, will reduce
brake or steer quickly enough to avoid play in making our vehicles and our
crashing, will join technology like roads safer.” 

arkansas Trucking repOrT | issue 4 2015 39