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Source: The following is an excerpt from a Freightwaves.com post written by John Gallagher, the organization’s Washington correspondent, about pending legislation concerning mandatory advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) for commercial vehicles (CV).
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation introduced last week on Capitol Hill requiring automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-assist technology on all new trucks is being praised by safety advocates but rejected by small-business truckers.
The Protecting Roadside First Responders Act, introduced through companion bills in the House and Senate, is aimed at reducing roadside crashes involving distracted driving. It requires advanced driver assistance systems, including AEB, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and blind-zone detection systems on commercial vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds.
Related post:
NHTSA 2020 Update on AEB Installation
Similar to a mandatory AEB regulation included in an infrastructure bill passed by the House (but not the Senate) last year, the bill requires that the technology be installed on all new trucks for the model year beginning no later than two years after the date of the final rule.
“The Protecting Roadside First Responders Act will require lifesaving technologies in all new vehicles while providing states with the resources they need to help keep our first responders safe,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., in introducing the legislation.
In a letter to Durbin and his colleagues co-sponsoring the bill, the Truck Safety Coalition asserted that it would reduce highway deaths.
Independent owner-operators, however, question the safety benefits of current AEB technology, contending that it “remains flawed.”
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In a letter sent this week to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Todd Spencer, president and CEO of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), stated that AEB systems, “especially for heavy vehicles, have still not been perfected and drivers have encountered serious problems with the technology while on the road.”
To view the entire post, click HERE.
