ing trucks, they could be enacted at relatively low costs compared to some regulations, like those governing emis- sions for example, Collins said. “It’s because the technology and


componentry already existed,” Collins said. “Nothing had to be created. It took very little engineering to actually adapt these vehicles to reduce the stopping distance.” Officially, the NHTSA Reduced


Stopping Distance (RSD) mandate took effect in August 2011 for new, three- axle tractors with Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (GVWRs) up to 59,600 pounds. Phase Two — for tractors with two axles and severe service tractors with GVWRs above 59,600 pounds — took effect August 1 this year. The regulations came about, as


most regulations do, because someone saw a need. But in this case the num- bers are stark. In a presentation at the Arkansas


Trucking Association Maintenance and Technology Council on August 13, Gary Ganaway, of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC, made the case. According to the Federal Motor


Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Ganaway’s presentation noted, the fatality rate for large truck crashes was 66 percent higher than passenger vehicles (using statistics from 2005). When tractor-trailer combinations were considered separately, the fatality rate was nearly 100 percent higher. The single unit fatality rate was 23


percent higher than for passenger vehi- cles and, for all types of crashes involv- ing large trucks, those with a GVWR over 26,000 pounds (Class 8) have the highest rate of crash involvement. When all heavy truck tractors have


enhanced braking systems, NHTSA estimates show 227 lives will be saved annually with 300 serious injuries pre- vented. This final regulation is expected to prevent $169 million in property damage each year. That monetary fig- ure, Ganaway’s report noted, is expect- ed to exceed the total cost of the rule — in other words, the savings and lives saved will more than pay for the effort


ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2013


“EVERYBODY ASSUMES AIR DISC BRAKES ARE THE


NEXT THING COMING AND THEY WOULD BE RIGHT TO ASSUME THAT.”


—DENNIS COLLINS, REGIONAL MANAGER, HALDEX BRAKE PRODUCTS


in putting the regulations together. Ganaway and other brake manu-


facturing representatives have been making the rounds of trucking industry get-togethers as Phase II began imple- mentation. Scott Burkhart, vice president and


general manager of controls and mod- ules for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, appeared at the Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference in Dallas August 21-22 to join with other indus- try leaders on a safety and technology panel. In published comments prior to his


appearance, Burkhart said accidents are a $52 billion-a-year issue for the indus- try and the costs were rising. He said fleets were seeing evidence that proven technology, which includes full stability collision mitigation systems, lane depar- ture warning and data systems, were effective in cutting down the number and severity of accidents. Phase I of the RSD affected 6x4


standard axle configurations with a GVWR below 59,6000 pounds, which now have a new stopping requirement of 250 feet. Phase II affects trucks with 6x4


severe service axle configurations with a GVWR between 59,6000-70,000 pounds — with a stopping mandate of 250 feet — and above 70,000 pounds — with a stopping mandate of 310 feet. Also under Phase II, tractors with


four or more axels and below 85,000 pounds have a stopping mandate of 250


feet while those above 85,000 pounds have a stopping mandate of 310 feet. Finally, all 4x2 tractors have a stop-


ping mandate of 250 feet. All mandates for Phase I and II are


figured from 60 mph. “The thought process was ‘If we can


reduce the stopping distance of vehicles we can reduce rear end accidents,’” Collins said. The distances were calculated dur-


ing the study and research period that ranged from 2005-2010. “At a crash scene they always esti-


mate the speed of impact and at some point they figure out where the brakes were applied,” Collins said. Collins said NHTSA worked delib-


erately in its study and research period and did its due diligence to make sure it was going about creating the new rules in a sensible and cost effective way. “They tore it apart; they retro-fitted


it; they modified it,” Collins said. “They had a panel they created of industry people that was with them the entire time. They proved that it was possible without turning the industry on its ear.”


It is actually not the first time


braking mandates have been put in place. In March 1995, NHTSA published


three final rules as part of an effort to improve the braking ability of medium and heavy vehicles. The rules were pri-


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