ELYRIA, Ohio, Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, the first North American brake system manufacturer to make a full-stability solution widely available for the commercial vehicle market, supports the conclusions of a study just released by the Federal Government showing that Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also known as Electronic Stability Program (ESP), on heavy trucks (above 10,000 lbs.) can both substantially reduce the number of annual heavy truck crashes, as well as prevent injuries and deaths.
Report findings conclude that with ESC installed on the vehicle, the number of annual heavy truck crashes would decrease by 4,659, preventing 5,909 injuries and 126 deaths. In addition, if ESC were on all heavy trucks today, according to the study, it would also save $1.738 billion in annual societal costs.
"More and more fleets are recognizing full-stability technology as a valuable option for helping to mitigate accidents and improve their safety records," said Joe McAleese, Bendix president and CEO. "The answer to the question of full-stability versus roll-only options has been a topic of discussion for some time and becomes much clearer to the industry through the results of this report. There's just no comparison in terms of the added protection full-stability technology can provide."
The study, conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) analyzed not only the efficacy of ESC but compared it to a less robust, roll-only system known as Roll Stability Control (RSC). The analysis shows ESC (also referred to as full-stability control) as superior to the RSC system. Among the crashes analyzed, the differences between how effective ESC is compared to RSC are significant. ESC would have resulted in
-- 34% fewer crashes than RSC
-- 19% fewer fatalities than RSC
-- 35% fewer injuries than RSC
-- 19% greater economic savings than RSC
According to the report: "Tractor-semitrailer crashes tend to be more complex events. Therefore, it is anticipated that technologies that address vehicle yaw control (such as ESC) would have additional benefits across a broad range of crash types. The study team was not able to provide an estimate for these additional benefits, so true amount of benefits to be realized is likely higher." The full study - "Safety Benefits of Stability Control Systems For Tractor-Semitrailers" - is now available on NHTSA's Web site.
In a different, but related, NHTSA study just released, ESC was also found to be effective in crashes involving "single-unit" medium and heavy trucks such as school buses and other kinds of buses and non-tractor/trailer trucks or "straight trucks." Of the medium and heavy-duty straight truck crashes where a stability system could help, ESC may have helped mitigate 91 percent of these crashes, while RSC would have only helped in the other 9 percent. On buses, the figure is even higher for ESC and lower for RSC.
"It's all about helping fleets avoid crashes," said McAleese. "This report reinforces what Bendix has been communicating over the last few years - that ESC/ESP technology, or full-stability, is the robust choice which helps mitigate more heavy truck rollover and loss of control situations versus roll-only technology. In the long run, ESP will help save more lives, reduce more accidents, and save fleets more money than RSC technology."
About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, air brake charging, and control systems and components under the Bendix(R) brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,000 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle performance, safety, and overall operating cost. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Acuna, Mexico; Bowling Green, Ky.; Huntington, Ind.; and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.bendix.com.
SOURCE Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
