Kenworth’s T680 in a daycab configuration.Kenworth has made Bendix ESP standard on its T680 and T880 trucks.
The system fully meets the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s stability mandate, which will require full-stability technology on most new Class 7 and Class 8 tractors starting in August this year.
First introduced in 2005, Bendix ESP was the first full-stability solution widely available for the commercial vehicle market.
“The bottom line is that this technology is making a difference out on the roads,” says Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president – sales, marketing, and business development.
Burkhart says fleets have reported to his company a 50 to 70 percent reduction in rollovers and loss-of-control crashes when ESP is equipped.
“Every time ESP is called into action, it helps mitigate potentially serious accidents and contributes to highway safety,” he adds.
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.
