MeritorWABCO Vehicle Control Systems is offering two new systems designed to help reduce the likelihood of rollovers for linehaul tractor-trailers. The Roll Stability Control (RSC) system for tractors will be available starting in January from truck builders and the Roll Stability Support (RSS) system for trailers will be available through trailer makers by mid-2003.
RSC intervenes when critical lateral acceleration thresholds are exceeded to regulate the vehicle's deceleration. According to MeritorWABCO, track and field testing has demonstrated the system's ability to slow the vehicle to give the driver better control and maneuverability to avoid a rollover. Intervention occurs through electronic control of the engine, retarder and drive and trailer brakes via an accelerometer mounted directly to the ECU of the truck's antilock braking system. RSC constantly monitors driving conditions and intervenes only if critical lateral acceleration is detected, said MeritorWABCO.
RSS is an independent system for trailers that also provides electronic assistance to reduce the potential for rollover. It is integrated into the trailer's electronic braking system (EBS). Similar to RSC, it focuses on acceleration and wheel speed to monitor the critical acceleration limit. If that's exceeded, the trailer brakes are automatically applied to reduce the vehicle's speed.
“While drivers are still the key element in the equation [to avoid rollovers],” said Dennis Sandberg, president of MeritorWABCO, “we have put our expertise to work to complement their capabilities and provided added peace of mind.”
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