A member of the Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems senior leadership team is among the presenters at the Commercial Vehicle Megatrends USA 2012 Conference. Richard Beyer, vice president, engineering and R&D, will present “Current Heavy Vehicle Safety Systems and the Data They Produce Can Influence Good Driver Behavior.” This year’s installment of the annual conference takes place June 12-14 in Dearborn, Mich.
Hosted by Automotive World Ltd., the conference is themed “Three Steps to Greater Fleet Efficiency.” It devotes a full day of sessions to each of three focus areas: Commercial Vehicle Powertrain; Aerodynamics and Rolling Resistance; and Fleet Management Technologies.
Beyer’s presentation, part of the Fleet Management Technologies agenda, is one of four in the Safety and Security topic area. He will outline onboard safety systems available today and discuss how drivers are vital to their performance. His presentation will also stress the importance of making effective use of information fleets can now access.
“From collision mitigation to full stability, and lane departure warnings to tire pressure monitoring, today’s onboard safety systems provide a wealth of data that can keep drivers and fleets informed. Transforming the enormous amount of raw data on the J1939 network into actionable information can translate into significant cost savings and improved highway safety if used to its fullest potential,” Beyer said. “When connected and managed through a back-office interface, like an easy-to-understand website, fleet safety and risk managers can take informed action, develop targeted ongoing driver training, and reinforce safe driving practices.”
Additionally, Beyer noted that the website must provide the correct context around a severe event or trend, so almost anyone can understand it quickly. The J1939 data provides the “what” aspect of the severe event, but that’s only part of the context. Video of the severe event provides full context and allows for deeper analysis, including insight into “why” the event happened.
“In the constantly changing commercial vehicle industry, the great value of this conference lies in continuing to build our understanding of the issues driving fleets and the industry as a whole today, as well as what changes are foreseen in the years ahead,” Beyer said. “At the same time, we have the opportunity to communicate the many ways that safety solutions can provide value to our customers, such as through safer highways and stronger bottom lines.”
