Truck safety systems can help avoid accidents By Vivien Leue

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Wednesday September 20, 2006

By Vivien Leue, Hanover, Germany- Every year hundreds of thousands of accidents involving trucks are caused by drivers going too fast, failing to adapt to road conditions or tiredness at the wheel. Some 40 per cent of such accidents could be avoided if the vehicles were equipped with intelligent safety devices, according to manufacturers attending the International Motor Vehicle (IAA) show for commercial vehicles in Hanover.

"In Germany alone we could save one to two lives every day with such equipment," says Claus Bayer, whose company Knorr-Bremse provides braking systems for trucks.

Tracking assistants, distance separation sensors and emergency brake systems are some of the aids that leading heavy goods vehicle manufacturers such as Volvo, DaimlerChrysler and Scania offer.

Advanced systems are being developed that analyse a driver's eye movements and can take evasive action if he is about to nod off.

Such devices are pie-in-the-sky for the German Association for Haulage, Logistics and Waste Disposal (BGL), which points out that many of them are not even ready to go into series production.

The BGL is also concerned they could overtax the driver.

"Too many optical and acoustic warning signals will only lead to an aversive stimulus," says BGL traffic safety expert Werner Andres.

The industry is aware of these reservations, but says it is further developing the safety devices to reduce the risk of false alarms.

Scania, for example, has decided against the introduction of an independent braking system because it does not want then driver to feel he can always depend on such technology.

DaimlerChrysler has gone a step further in its active braking assistant, which automatically slams on the brakes when sensors show that a collision with a vehicle in front is unavoidable.

This system constantly measures the speed of the truck and the distance separation with the vehicle ahead.

"The emergency braking assistant can save lives," according to DaimlerChrysler chief executive Dieter Zetsche.

BLG traffic safety expert Andres sees a lot of potential for such a system, but says a much better method would be to use it in combination with cruise control and distance separation sensors.

The electronic stability programme ESP is mainly worthwhile for fuel tankers or other trucks carrying dangerous loads which have to negotiate narrow bends, says Andres.

Knorr-Bremse says its research shows that 40 per cent of all single vehicle accidents involving trucks could be avoided with the help of ESP.

Despite the advantages of such advanced safety devices only one in 20 trucks or buses in Germany use them, according to experts at the Hanover show, which opened its doors to the public on Thursday.

Many hauliers are reluctant to pay the extra money it costs to have their vehicles fitted with these devices and call for them to be a standard feature in trucks.

This year a record 1,500 exhibitors are at the IAA, displaying products that range from trucks, vans, buses and trailers to equipment for garages and parts and accessories.

The exhibition runs until September 28.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur