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For Safety's Sake

For Safety’s By John Baxter SAKE Wired for Safety Like the best NASCAR drivers, with their tightly honed skills, fast reﬂexes, and years of practice, even top truckers can quickly get into a steering problem. Two major brake component makers have introduced systems that can prevent a rig from rolling over or losing control when approaching a jackknife. These systems use many of the components that make ABS successful, and tap into the know-how industry engineers have developed around tractortrailer dynamics. Rollover and full stability systems There are the two basic system types, says Mark Melletat, director of trailer systems and ﬂeet operations at Meritor Wabco. One is roll stability control. The other, full stability control, combines RSC with other technology to provide broader and more powerful corrective actions. RSC “provides the highest value of vehicle rollover stability with the fewest components and maintenance requirements and the lowest cost,” Melletat says. “It continually monitors conditions that can lead to a rollover and can automatically de-throttle the engine and apply the engine brake, as well as the drive and trailer axle foundation brakes, to reduce tractortrailer speed when lateral acceleration limits are about to be exceeded.” For example, if a rig will roll over in a curve at 40 mph, but 24 RPMfortruckers.com prevent some of the worst types of accidents, and reduce liability concerns for owner-operators. A federal study shows savings from using rollover stability systems throughout the industry would save more than $1 billion a year. September • 2010

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