The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is promoting the new federal safety regulation, which is expected to save up to 49 lives and prevent 1,759 crashes each year.
“ESC is a remarkable safety success story, a technology innovation that is already saving lives in passenger cars and light trucks,” said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Requiring ESC on heavy trucks and large buses will bring that safety innovation to the largest vehicles on our highways, increasing safety for drivers and passengers of these vehicles and for all road users.”
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended such regulations for heavy-duty vehicles since 2011, following a requirement for light vehicles that took effect in 2012.
The technology, which detects when the vehicle begins to roll over or slide out of control, automatically applies brakes and controls throttle position to help counteract dangerous behavior. It is capable of engaging much faster than a human driver, and can brake individual wheels to minimize understeer or oversteer.
The NHTSA estimates that ESC could help prevent more than half of ‘untripped’ rollover crashes, which occur without striking an object or leaving the road.
The regulations will affect heavy trucks and large buses exceeding 26,000 pounds in gross weight. System compliance will be tested using a “J-turn” trial that replicates a curved highway off-ramp, presumably approached at high speed.
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