Key legislators, regulators and industry association representatives experienced Bendix advanced safety, fuel economy and environmental technologies for commercial vehicles firsthand during demonstrations September 14 to 15 in Washington, D.C.
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, a North American developmer and manufacturer of leading-edge active safety, energy management and braking solutions, conducted the learning experience for the third consecutive year at RFK Stadium. More than 90 people attended this year’s demonstration by Bendix and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake.
U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) kicked off the event on September 14. Sutton, a strong proponent of commercial vehicle safety and a leading supporter of active safety technologies, took the first ride in a truck outfitted with the Bendix ESP full-stability system and Bendix Wingman Advanced – a Collision Mitigation Technology.
“At a time when everyone is talking about creating jobs, I am proud to work with a company like Bendix, whose leading-edge safety and environmental technologies for commercial vehicles are helping to bring jobs to Northeast Ohio and other parts of the county,” Sutton says. “I will continue to stand by and work with companies like Bendix across Northeast Ohio to create new jobs and new opportunities for middle class families.”
Attendees included representatives of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), American Trucking Associations (ATA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Volvo Trucks North America, PACCAR, Inc., Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the General Services Administration (GSA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)/American Truck Dealers (ATD), National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc. (NTTC), AAA, and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Several congressional offices also were represented, as well as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Key fleets also attended.
Participants experienced firsthand the performance and effectiveness of the range of Bendix advanced safety, environmental and fuel-saving technologies available today for tractor-trailers, trucks and motorcoaches. These systems are designed to help drivers mitigate rollover, loss-of-control, and rear-end collision situations, while others alert drivers to stationary objects in the vehicle’s path of travel and/or an unintended departure from the current lane of travel.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to launch the demo and ride in vehicles which demonstrated the advanced safety and environmental technologies that Bendix develops for the commercial vehicle market,” notes Sutton. “I can see how these technologies will help drivers, fleets and owner-operators improve safety, as well as improve fuel economy and reduce emissions – benefits for all of us who share our nation’s roadways.”
Bendix also showed systems that feature information to help fleets strengthen driver performance, along with technologies to help improve stopping distance. Demo participants learned about the innovative Bendix® air management solutions that deliver performance, improved fuel economy, and lower emissions. The Bendix team also offered demo participants a glimpse of several future technologies designed to integrate video and radar.
“Bendix was pleased to have representatives of so many legislative offices, regulators and industry associations attend the technology demonstration in our nation’s capital,” says Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government relations. “Providing an ‘in the seat’ demonstration truly is the best way to enable someone to get a better understanding of how Bendix technologies work and the solutions that are available to mitigate accidents, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.”
Bendix ESP is a full-stability system that helps mitigate rollovers and loss-of-control situations. Bendix Wingman ACB, an approach to active cruise with braking, is designed to help drivers maintain a safe following distance behind vehicles in their lane through warnings and active interventions, to help them potentially avoid, or lessen the severity of rear-end collisions.
Bendix Wingman Advanced combines the power of adaptive cruise control with braking and always-available collision mitigation braking to deliver both warnings and active interventions to drivers to help mitigate rear-end collision situations. Bendix Wingman Advanced and Bendix Wingman ACB feature stationary object alerts that give drivers up to 3.0 seconds advance notice when approaching sizeable, stationary metallic objects in their lane of travel. Both systems build upon the company’s full-stability technology – Bendix ESP – providing fleets and owner-operators with a system that can help drivers in collisions, rollovers, and loss-of-control situations.
The market-leading, vision-based AutoVue Lane Departure Warning (LDW) System – recently acquired from Iteris, Inc., and now one of the newest technologies available from Bendix – alerts truck drivers should they inadvertently drift out of their lane. The AutoVue LDW system contains a camera that tracks visible lane markings and continually detects when the vehicle begins to drift toward an unintended lane change. When this occurs, the unit automatically emits a distinctive rumble or other audible warning sound, alerting the driver to make a correction.
SafetyDirect – also recently purchased by Bendix from Iteris, Inc. – provides real-time driver performance data captured by the AutoVue LDW and, in the near future, other onboard safety systems, such as Bendix ESP, Bendix Wingman ACB, Wingman Advanced – a Collision Mitigation Technology, and SmartTire by Bendix CVS. Fleet managers can view this information through the SafetyDirect Web portal which uses the fleet’s existing vehicle communications system to transmit the data off the vehicle in near real time.
The Bendix ADB22X is North America’s most-specified air disc brake. It exceeds the newly mandated 30% reduction in stopping distance regulations. Since its introduction in 2005, more than 175,000 Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes have been produced – more than any other North American design. Extensive testing and real-world applications have confirmed that Bendix air disc brakes significantly reduce stopping distances for commercial vehicles; virtually eliminate brake fade with no degradation of stopping power; enable a passenger car-like feel; and permit straight, stable stops. North American field experience, which continues to grow at a rapid pace, consistently validates the superior performance advantages of the Bendix air disc brake in shorter stopping distance, longer pad and rotor life, and reduced brake fade. The Bendix ADB22X air disc brake is a lightweight air disc brake package that offers fast and easy pad replacement, improving uptime. Easy access to the brake pads minimizes maintenance, labor and expense, allowing fleets and owner-operators to reduce costly downtime.
“As great as these advanced safety technologies, are, however, they do not replace the need for safe, alert drivers practicing safe driving habits, along with comprehensive driver training and a strong fleet commitment to safety,” notes Andersky.
Many of these Bendix safety technologies are available from the major commercial vehicle manufacturers, including Freightliner, International, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt and Volvo.
The Bendix air management package, consisting of the Bendix PBS Air Injection Booster, Bendix Electronic Air Control (EAC) Dryer, and Bendix Turbo-Clutch Air Compressor, enhances vehicle performance, reduces fuel consumption, and improves emissions. The technology optimizes the performance of all engine types, including those using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), Advanced Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), and other technologies developed to meet the federal EPA emission standards implemented in 2007 and 2010.
