U14: Advance Heavy Vehicle Braking Technologies to Improve Stopping Distances
The National Transportation Research Center, Inc. (NTRCI) is managing a safety-based data collection effort involving in-service commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).
Previous stopping tests, conducted from the 1940's through the 1980's, were required initially to design safe stopping sight distances into new roadways, and subsequently to assess braking performance as years progressed and vehicle design, highway speeds and load limits changed. Today, stopping capability tests and brake assessments of CMVs are needed to provide data for possible new regulatory action to improve highway safety.
An in-service braking assessment of heavy commercial vehicles is being conducted in 2008-2009 to assess the current condition of CMV brake systems. This assessment utilizes improved technology, such as GPS systems and a Performance Based Brake Tester (PBBT), to collect data on CMV braking performance in an attempt to portray a representative snapshot of the braking capabilities of vehicles on the road today. Industry and government are partnering to support this project through direct financial and in-kind contributions. Primary contributors to the project being run by Battelle Memorial Institute include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), Heavy-Duty Brake Manufacturer's Council (HDBMC) and the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The data collected in this effort is intended for use in evaluating how current in-service vehicles perform, and how the Level I visual inspection corresponds to actual braking performance. Since there is no regulation of after-market components, including replacement brake pads, visual inspections may not fully assess the ability of a vehicle to stop safely. Industry and regulators alike could use current vehicle performance data in safety applications as they review present design and maintenance practices and regulations.