Drivers: Don’t Be Slow To React, Truck ESC Recall
A recent Recall by Daimler Trucks of 2006 to 2012 Freightliner Trucks highlights recent concern regarding inadvertent actuation of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Systems. Potentially 47,000 units are recalled with Meritor Wabco ESC system manufactured since September of 2005. According to the recall summary, “Under certain road and driving conditions, vehicle body roll and road inclination characteristics may adversely affect the slip angle calculation of the Eectronic Stability Control (ESC) system. This might cause the ESC to perceive an over steering situation and therefore apply the outer wheel brake on the front axle until the vehicle is perceived to be stable.” The Meritor Wabco technologies include ESC, Roll Stability Control and trailer stability control. Some of these systems are described in the Meritor literature as being available since 2002.
Interesting that the vehicle based risk to motor vehicle safety (the recall) lists the defect’s consequence as, “If the driver is slow to react during this ESC intervention, the vehicle may deviate from the intended line of travel increasing the risk of a crash.” In other words, the manufacture is saying they are responsible for an unexpected and dangerous external disturbance to the vehicle – presumably a disturbance from no driver input – but the increased risk of a crash occurs if the driver is slow to react??
NHTSA Published Update of ESC Analysis
The August 10, 2011 Federal Register contained NHTSA’s updated statistical analysis on its existing Safety Standard 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems. The report’s title is: Crash Prevention Effectiveness in Light-Vehicle Electronic Stability Control: An Update of the 2007 NHTSA Evaluation. The Notice stated:
“Statistical analyses based on data for calendar years 1997 to 2009 from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the General Estimates System (GES) of the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) estimate the long-term effectiveness of electronic stability control (ESC) for passenger cars and LTVs (light trucks and vans). Safety Standard 126 establishes standards for electronic stability control systems manufactured for use in light vehicles. This report is an update of a previous NHTSA analysis of ESC effectiveness (72 FR 41582) published in 2007.”
“The principal findings are that ESC was associated with a six percent decrease in the likelihood that a vehicle would be involved in any police reported crash and an 18 percent reduction in the probability that a vehicle would be involved in a fatal crash. For passenger cars, the reductions are 5 percent and 23 percent, respectively; for LTVs, 7 percent and 20 percent. Each of these reductions is statistically significant except for the 5 percent overall effect in cars.”
Comments from the public are solicited and must be received by December 8, 2011.
NHTSA’s Research on Advanced Crash Avoidance Technologies
Ray Resendes, Chief of Intelligent Technologies Research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provided an interesting overview of NHTSA’s efforts on Research on Advanced Crash Avoidance Technologies during his recent presentation at the special session on pre-crash technology during the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM) 53rd Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, October 4th through October 7th, 2009.
Resendes described NHTSA’s current plans to include a New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) Advance Technologies Rating for Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning. The phase in period for ESC pursuant to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 126 (FMVSS126) is 55% in 2009, 75% in 2010, 95% in 2011 and 100% in 2012.
NHTSA’s approach groups intelligent technology interventions into Crash Prevention, Crash Severity Reduction, Injury Mitigation and Crash Notification. Examples of technologies in each area were provided. For example crash prevention technologies include: adaptive cruise control, ESC, rollover prevention, rear end collision avoidance, intersection collision avoidance and automatic alcohol detection interlock; and technologies in crash severity reduction include: Electronic Brake Assist and Brake Augmentation.
Interesting thoughts were presented on how sensing the state of various components of the automobile might be used in assisting drivers. For example intelligent sensing the windshield wipers to determine if a safe stopping distance under wet road conditions exists.
The substance of the presentation listed an array of state of the art technology including: Electronic Stability Control (ESC, first commercial use in 1995 and 100% phase-in pursuant to FMVSS126 by 2012), adaptive cruise control (first in Japan in 1998), forward collision warning, forward collision avoidance and mitigation (set for a 2011 rulemaking decision), blind spot detection, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention (set for a 2001 rulemaking decision), crossing path detection (a backup sensor), fatigue detection, night vision assistance (around for about 10-years), automatic alcohol detection, crash notification and vehicle to vehicle communication (set for rulemaking decision in 2013).
Mark W. Arndt
