Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC is supporting proposed federal legislation that would provide tax incentives for implementing safety technology on commercial vehicles. The manufacturer of braking and active-safety technologies said the Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Act of 2011 (S. 1233 and H.R. 1706) would provide a tax credit equal to 50% of the cost of any qualified commercial-vehicle safety system that is placed into service during the tax year.
The companion bills were introduced to the U.S. Senate on June 20th and to the House of Representatives back on May 4th.
“The Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Act of 2011 will help make critical active safety technologies even more accessible for today’s safety-conscious fleets and owner-operators,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government relations. “Bendix has long been committed to developing technologies designed to help drivers improve highway safety, while also delivering cost-effective solutions to help make our nation’s roadways safer. We fully support H.R. 1706 and S. 1233 and the legislators who are working to make these safety technologies even more affordable.”
According to Bendix, the legislation recognizes the following as technologies that have the potential to improve overall highway safety:
- Brake-stroke monitoring systems
- Lane-departure warning systems
- Collision-warning/mitigation systems
- Vehicle stability systems
Along with benefitting from the tax break, using these safety technologies “may be especially important for fleets, owner-operators, and drivers in today’s new CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) trucking environment,” pointed out Bendix.
The manufacturer also stressed the high costs of accidents such technologies may prevent. “In addition to injury and loss of life, accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles can result in lost time due to out-of-service conditions; the potential for extensive cleanup costs resulting from the accident; and unexpected traffic delays for everyone sharing the roadway. Bendix believes these bills have the potential to significantly accelerate the implementation of these valuable safety technologies,” read a statement released by the company.
H.R. 1706 was sponsored by Reps. Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Michael Thompson (D-CA.) It is currently co-sponsored by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR); David Dreier (R-CA); Michael Michaud (D-ME); Gary Peters (D-MI.); Sue Myrick (R-NC), and Heath Shuler (D-NC).
S. 1233 was sponsored by Sen. Debbie Anne Stabenow (D-MI).
