ATA's Industry Technical Council believes systems aid safety if correctly introduced into fleets
August 1, 2012
A technical advisory procedure on electronic braking systems (EBS) has just been released.
The Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Industry Technical Council (ITC) developed the generally focused guidelines with a view to improving the technical understanding of the systems in a range of truck/trailer and prime mover trailer combinations.
The advisory backs the use of EBS and trailer EBS, pointing to National Transport Insurance and US Department of Transport studies that support their use.
ATA National Policy Manager David Coonan believes the publication will allow operators to benefit from the experience of ITC members, and could be used to improve safety outcomes for the entire industry.
“There is no doubt that these devices have a positive influence on safety outcomes when correctly implemented into a fleet,” Coonan says.
“Using this resource as a guide, operators and suppliers can work together to ensure they achieve the best safety outcomes in their fleet, without sacrificing productivity or efficiency.”
The systems utilise electronics to control a vehicle’s braking system.
The electronic signal takes priority over the air signal sent by the brake pedal to activate the brakes, improving stopping distances and braking system performance.
EBS also enables communication between towing and towed vehicles on axle braking loads, wheel speeds and deceleration.
It can be combined with other systems to provide roll stability assistance for trailers among other features.
The advisory can be viewed here:
http://www.truck.net.au/industry-resources/electronic-braking-systems-ebs-advisory-procedure
