Meritor Wabco Vehicle Control Systems announced today, April 9, that it has been awarded the 2009 North American Industry Innovation & Advancement of the Year Award in Class 6-8 truck safety systems by Frost & Sullivan for the joint venture’s superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance in developing and marketing the OnGuard collision safety system.
“We are obviously proud of this new safety advancement, the OnGuard collision safety system, and quite gratified to learn that distinguished observers in our commercial vehicle industry feel the same way,” says Jon Morrison, president of Troy, Mich.-based Meritor Wabco.
According to Frost & Sullivan, the new product represents a significant safety upgrade over competing systems, continuing their tradition of truck safety innovations and industry achievements. The award was presented to Meritor Wabco’s Rick Romer, director of key customer management, at a Frost & Sullivan formal awards ceremony Wednesday, April 8, in San Antonio.
“This represents a significant step forward in an industry where growth and development has largely depended on systems that provide safety at the lowest possible cost,” says Neeleu Singh, research analyst of Frost & Sullivan.
Meritor Wabco says the system, which is in use in more than 1,400 heavy-duty trucks across North America, uses forward-looking radar sensor technology – featuring advanced algorithms – to detect multiple moving and fixed objects at distances up to 500 feet away. It quickly and reliably coordinates the engine, transmission and anti-lock braking systems, according to Meritor Wabco; through audible and visual warnings, the system optimizes braking reaction time, and if a safe distance is compromised, OnGuard then automatically engages the throttle, engine brake and foundation brakes if necessary.
“This breakthrough is a critical advancement from passive systems, which are only capable of alerting the driver to potential danger though alarm and engine braking,” Morrison says.
Meritor Wabco is a supplier of vehicle control systems and safety enhancement technologies to North American commercial trucking manufacturers. The OnGuard collision safety system is part of the joint venture’s Pyramid of Safety, which integrates a broad portfolio of advanced braking suspension and SmartTrac stability control systems that add value to the vehicles equipped with them.
