ELYRIA, Ohio – Through its suite of active and passive safety systems, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems helps to enhance the safety of today’s commercial vehicles, yet it reinforces the point that no technology replaces the need for skilled drivers practicing safe driving habits on our highways. The company supports the efforts of Operation Safe Driver, taking place Oct. 19-25, to help fleets and owner-operators meet the ongoing challenges of keeping highways safe for everyone.
Operation Safe Driver was launched in 2007 by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) and aims to reduce the number of deaths resulting from crashes involving large trucks, buses, and passenger vehicles. The CVSA, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is promoting traffic law and safety belt enforcement, roadside inspections, regulatory compliance, and commercial driver education. Operation Safe Driver also aims to educate all drivers about operating safely around commercial vehicles.
According to the most recent FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report, more than 4,100 people died in large truck and bus crashes in the U.S. in 2012.
Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies, is committed to providing advanced vehicle technologies and solutions, as well as a robust menu of ongoing fleet support for maximizing highway safety.
“As our industry engineers safer vehicles and develops more effective safety systems, it becomes increasingly important for us to also provide proper, wide-ranging training for the drivers and technicians who operate and maintain them,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government and industry affairs. “Through an ever-growing offering of awareness and education programs, available in-person and online, we make good on our commitment to share our knowledge with the industry.”
To help address the increasing adoption of advanced safety technologies such as full stability, collision mitigation, and Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) foundation drum and disc brakes, Bendix offers a range of hands-on training options, including: the Bendix® Brake Training School; on-site demonstrations and detailed system explanations; on-site ride-and-drive training with customer vehicles; and on-site technician training covering system maintenance and troubleshooting. Bendix also hosts track demonstrations where on-site training is impractical.
The Bendix Brake Training School, one of the industry’s longest-running training programs, has educated more than 250,000 students since its inception. The three-day program takes a comprehensive approach to the entire range of foundation and air brake system components, and provides in-depth coverage of advanced safety solutions.
Additionally, more than 24,000 students have enrolled in the Bendix On-Line Brake School at www.brake-school.com since its launch in March 2013. The free on-line curriculum has become an essential part of the training program for many fleets across North America. The curriculum, available 24/7/365, covers all aspects of electronics and air brake maintenance, including courses on lane departure warning systems, air compressors, tire pressure monitoring systems, wheel-end maintenance, and radar alignment for active safety systems. Course availability is always growing to meet the varied needs of the commercial vehicle industry.
Bendix also supports the goals of Operation Safe Driver by delivering technologies that assist safe vehicle operation, such as Bendix® ESP® Electronic Stability Program full-stability system, Bendix® Wingman® Advanced™ – A Collision Mitigation Technology, and AutoVue® Lane Departure Warning (LDW) System from Bendix CVS. Next year, Bendix will launch the next generation of its active safety systems in North America, introducing stationary vehicle braking and other advances to the market as well as improving the performance of its existing systems through stronger, deeper integration and upgraded components.
Bendix ESP helps address both roll and directional instability through sensors that recognize and mitigate conditions that could lead to rollover and loss-of-control. Wingman Advanced uses a radar sensor mounted to the front of a vehicle to provide active cruise control with braking features, along with collision mitigation technology that delivers both warnings and active interventions to help drivers potentially avoid rear-end collisions or at least help reduce their severity. The AutoVue® LDW system uses a camera with a wide field of view to track visible lane markings and detects when the vehicle begins to drift toward an unintended lane change.
Bendix wheel-end safety solutions that meet and exceed RSD standards for shorter stops include the higher-performing version of its Extended Service drum brake (Bendix® ES™ brakes) and the Bendix® ADB22X™ air disc brake. Both are produced by Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC, a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.
Andersky noted that all Bendix safety systems – both active braking and warning-only technologies – are designed to supplement safe driving practices and are not intended to enable or encourage drivers to drive more aggressively. Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times. “Well-trained, skilled drivers practicing safe driving habits are vital, and no technology can replace their importance at the wheel,” he said.
By delivering on areas critical to fleets’ success – safety, vehicle performance, and efficiency – and providing unparalleled post-sales support, Bendix helps fleets and drivers strengthen return on investment in equipment and technology.
“Safer highways are the result of strong collaboration across the commercial vehicle industry, from drivers and fleet managers to technicians and engineers,” Andersky said. “At Bendix, our ongoing dialogues with fleets, a focus on continuous enhancement of the value and impact of today’s technologies, and support of the goals of Operation Safe Driver are just a few of the ways we continue to help make the roads even safer for everyone.”
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, energy management solutions, and air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,800 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle safety, performance, and overall operating cost. Bendix is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Bowling Green, Kentucky; Huntington, Indiana; North Aurora, Illinois; and Acuña, Mexico. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.bendix.com. To learn more about career opportunities at Bendix, visit www.bendix.com/careers. Follow Bendix on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Bendix_CVS. Log on and learn from the Bendix experts at www.brake-school.com.
