ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Meritor WABCO Vehicle
Control Systems today introduced OnGuard(TM), a new technology designed to
further improve commercial vehicle safety. This industry-first technology
was introduced and demonstrated here for journalists and fleet customers on
the eve of a key industry equipment and technology event.
OnGuard is currently installed on nearly 200 vehicles and is targeted
for third quarter 2008 availability as a factory-installed option at
several OEM brands.
OnGuard is a forward-looking, radar-based adaptive cruise control
system with active braking for commercial vehicles in North America. New to
the North American industry, active braking improves vehicle safety by
automatically using the vehicle foundation brakes to alert the driver and
decelerate the vehicle when a pre-set vehicle following distance is
compromised.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to improve vehicle safety for highways,
drivers and fleets, OnGuard was designed to equip drivers with automated
features that help ensure safe following distances and provide active
braking as needed," said Jon Morrison, president and general manager,
Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems. "The driver is still the most
important element in maintaining vehicle safety however, the system can
provide the additional split-second deceleration needed to maintain control
of the vehicle in an emergency situation."
Automatic foundation brake intervention distinguishes OnGuard from
existing passive collision warning systems, which can only alert the driver
to a potentially dangerous situation through alarm and engine braking. With
this new product on the truck, if the pre-determined "safe" distance is
compromised, OnGuard will provide visual and audible warning to the driver,
vehicle deceleration through engine control, retarder control and most
importantly, noticeable foundation braking. Foundation brake deceleration
can be as great as one-third of a full brake application for the vehicle
but within safe limits for the driver to take control.
Pyramid of Safety
Further advantage provided by OnGuard is that it fully integrates with
the joint venture's anti-lock braking and stability control systems.
Morrison added that this allows the customer to build a pyramid of safety
for the vehicle with stability control and collision safety system via a
single brake ABS ECU versus having additional "add-on" systems.
According to the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety
Administration, rear-end collisions account for over 20 percent of all
heavy- truck crashes. The truck is the striking vehicle in 60 percent of
those accidents. Inattention or poor decisions (e.g. driving too fast for
the conditions or following too closely) are the primary factor in 66
percent of the collisions where fault is assigned to the truck driver.
OnGuard's forward-looking, mono-pulse radar sensor is capable of
detecting multiple moving and fixed objects at distances up to 500 feet
away. It quickly and reliably coordinates responses from the engine,
transmission, and anti-lock braking systems through communications across
the SAE J1939 data network. It provides feedback to the driver through the
in-cab dash display, which includes a progressive audible alert.
This sequence of monitoring, warning and intervention is an important
part of Meritor WABCO's strategy to reduce false alarms. OnGuard uses a
proprietary time-to-collision algorithm, unlike the simple two-second
headway alarms used by today's passive braking systems. Driver feedback
from field tests covering over 10 million fleet-miles over a two-year
period showed significantly better performance, reliability, and driver
confidence in OnGuard compared to collision warning systems currently
available in North America.
Comprehensive Sales and Support Network
This new product, as well as all other Meritor WABCO products, will be
supported by ArvinMeritor's comprehensive sales and support systems.
ArvinMeritor's North American sales and service organization sells,
services and supports the products to fleets, dealers and OEMs. Extensive
support mechanisms exist in the form of aftermarket parts, warranty
administration, troubleshooting, and online technical and reference
support.
Meritor WABCO(1) is a joint venture of ArvinMeritor, (NYSE: ARM) and
the WABCO Automotive Control Systems, Inc,. (NYSE: WBC).
WABCO is one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking,
stability, suspension and transmission control systems for heavy duty
commercial vehicles. Customers include the world's leading commercial
truck, trailer and bus manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in
1968 and spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO
employs more than 7,000 people in 34 offices and production facilities
worldwide. In 2006, WABCO's total sales were $2 billion. WABCO is a
publicly traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under
the stock symbol WBC. Web site: http://www.wabco-auto.com.
ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of
integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry.
The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original
equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle
manufacturers. Headquartered in Troy, Mich., ArvinMeritor employs
approximately 18,000 people in 23 countries. ArvinMeritor common stock is
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more
information, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/.
(1) Meritor WABCO products are available in the United States, Mexico
and Canada.
SOURCE Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems
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Related links:
http://www.arvinmeritor.com
http://www.wabco-auto.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/762401.html/
CONTACT:
D. Mike Pennington of ArvinMeritor, Inc.,
+1-248-435-1933, Mobile +1-248-670-5736,
David.Pennington@ArvinMeritor.com
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