Each year, thousands of people are injured in truck accidents across the U.S. However, two global truck components suppliers just unveiled new collision avoidance technology that could reduce future truck crashes on congested New Jersey highways.
On June 28, ZF and WABCO announced the Evasive Maneuver Assist system, or EMA. It is a combination of ZF’s electrohydraulic ReAX steering system and WABCO’s OnGuard active braking system. According to a joint statement by the companies, EMA represents a “critical step” in making self-driving trucks a reality.
EMA uses radar and other sensory data to detect stopped vehicles in a truck’s path and sends audio, visual and haptic signals to the driver to avoid an impending crash. If the driver fails to respond quickly enough or the system calculates that there is not enough stopping distance for the automated braking system to prevent a collision, EMA will take over the truck’s steering system and maneuver around the stopped vehicle. If vehicles in adjacent lanes prevent swerving around a stopped vehicle, EMA will apply maximum braking power in an attempt to prevent the collision or mitigate the severity of the impact.
Police thoroughly investigate tractor-trailer crashes that result in injuries. If a crash scene investigation determines that a truck driver was at fault for a collision, the official report could be used as evidence in a subsequent personal injury lawsuit filed by an attorney on behalf of an injured victim. If the driver was on the clock at the time of the collision, the trucking company itself could also be named as a defendant.
Source: Overdrive Online, “New collision mitigation system can take over truck’s steering to evade rear-end crashes,” James Jaillet, June 29, 2016
