The Bendix ESP Electronic Stability Program is now standard on Kenworth Truck Company’s T680 and T880 trucks.
“These are Kenworth’s flagship on-highway and vocational vehicles, recognized across North America for their quality and performance. Matching them with Bendix’s road-tested and proven active safety technology is the perfect pairing of great, innovative trucks and the best safety systems,” said Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president – sales, marketing, and business development.
Bendix introduced Bendix ESP in 2005, making it the first full-stability solution widely available for the commercial vehicle market. Bendix ESP fully meets the new stability mandate of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which will require full-stability technology on most new Class 7 and Class 8 tractors starting in August 2017.
“Kenworth continues to offer robust technology systems that provide cost-effective solutions and benefits to our customers in their specific applications,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director. “Bendix ESP is designed to help drivers keep their trips safe and uneventful.”
Compared with roll-only stability or antilock braking systems, full-stability systems utilize more sensors, enabling the technology to more quickly recognize factors that could lead to vehicle rollovers or loss of control, and address both roll and directional stability. On dry surfaces, full-stability technology recognizes and mitigates potential rollover and loss-of-control situations sooner than roll-only options, and it functions in a wider range of driving and road conditions, including snowy, ice-covered, and slippery surfaces.
When it comes to interventions, in addition to engine dethrottling, full-stability systems can selectively brake on the steer, drive, and trailer axles. Roll-only systems, in comparison, typically apply the brakes on only the drive and trailer axles. Slowing the vehicle quickly helps mitigate rollovers faster, and can help the driver maneuver in loss-of-control situations.
“The bottom line is that this technology is making a difference out on the roads,” Burkhart said. “Fleets consistently tell Bendix they’ve seen a 50 to 70 percent reduction in rollovers and loss-of-control crashes when ESP is equipped – and we know, along with the team at Kenworth, that those are more than just ROI figures: Every time ESP is called into action, it helps mitigate potentially serious accidents and contributes to highway safety.”