NHTSA to hold public hearing July 24 on ESC proposal

NHTSA estimates that up to 60 fatalities a year could be prevented by the use of ESC systems. Above is an ESC demonstration by Bendix.

The Trucker News Services

7/19/2012

WASHINGTON — A public hearing to obtain oral testimony and reaction to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s May proposal to mandate electronic stability control equipment on heavy-duty trucks and buses will be held July 24 here at the Department of Transportation.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and those wishing to testify may e-mail Christopher Morris at Christopher.morris@dot.gov in NHTSA’s Office of Rulemaking.

On May 23 NHTSA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM) to establish “electronic stability control systems for heavy vehicles” requiring “truck tractors and certain large buses with a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds to be equipped with an ESC system that meets the equipment and performance requirements of the proposed standard.”

NHTSA estimates that up to 60 fatalities a year could be prevented by the use of ESC systems, preventing up to 56 percent of rollover accidents and 14 percent of crashes caused by driver loss of control.

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The hearing will focus on the magnitude of the issue for heavy-duty trucks and buses; how ESC systems work to prevent and mitigate driver loss of control; research and testing used to back up the NHTSA proposal; and proposal details, including compliance and implementation.

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at editor@thetrucker.com.

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