The new law on safety systems

The number of traffic accidents involving trucks must continue to drop – according to a series of measures initiated by EU legislators under general safety regulation 661/2009. With effect from November 1, new trucks with a permissible gross weight in excess of 3.5 tonnes can only be registered if they are equipped with a Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS). LDWS alerts the driver if he drifts out of his lane. In addition to that, air-suspension trucks weighing more than eight tonnes are obliged to have an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) on board. AEBS can reduce the effects of rear-end collisions with the help of an autonomous braking system. Off-road vehicles and trucks with more than three axles are exempt from this regulation. A second stage of the EU regulation is set to come into force in 2018, when all vehicles with air suspension and steel springs with a permissible gross weight of more than 3.5 tonnes must be equipped with AEBS.

According to stage 1, the AEBS must reduce the truck’s speed by 50 kilometres an hour if a collision with a moving obstacle is imminent, and by ten kilometres in the event of an imminent impact with a stationary object. This would reduce the maximum impact velocity to 30 and 70 kilometres per hour respectively. In a second stage, the legal requirement calls for a top speed on impact of ten (moving obstacle) and 60 kilometres per hour (stationary object). In all cases, an accident is not prevented, rather the effects are mitigated.

Mercedes-Benz is ahead of its time as far as this regulation is concerned. Active Brake Assist (ABA) has been available in the Actros since 2006. The third generation – ABA3 – was launched as early as 2012, and it far exceeds the requirements of AEBS stage 2: within system boundaries, the system brakes to a halt from a speed of 80 kilometres per hour when faced with both moving and stationary obstacles.

The LDWS lane departure alert system for Mercedes-Benz trucks has been available since the year 2000. Together with Active Brake Assist, and with effect from November 2015, it will become standard equipment on vehicles exceeding the permissible gross weight of 18 tonnes.

Photos: Daimler