Bendix Promotes Operation Safe Driver Week

From developing technologies that equip North America’s drivers with the best tools to providing training and technical insight, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC supports the goals of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week, taking place July 11-17.

Operation Safe Driver Week is a safe-driving awareness and outreach initiative aimed at improving the driving behaviors of passenger vehicle drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers. CVSA works with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) during the week to promote traffic law and safety belt enforcement, operating safely around commercial vehicles, roadside inspections, regulatory compliance, and commercial driver education.

“As North America recovers from the pandemic, increasing travel and transportation mean busier roads for everyone – which makes CVSA’s mission that much more vital,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of Government and Industry Affairs. “At Bendix, we’re proud to work closely with partners across the commercial vehicle industry to raise awareness and provide components and systems that reinforce safe driving practices and help improve the safety of the men and women who keep America moving.”

Bendix provides technologies and resources that enhance fleet safety programs and support drivers from the back office and the maintenance bay.

The online platform SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS provides fleet operators with comprehensive feedback on their fleet and drivers, including videos of triggered severe events. SafetyDirect gives fleets key insights into common driving behaviors and trends across their operation, enabling the development of specific, customized driver support, and training programs. The SafetyDirect system’s new SDP5 Full processor has expanded the system’s capabilities to power digital video recording, enable a driver-facing camera option, and better preserve data in the event of a power loss through the addition of a battery backup.

Maximizing highway safety is also dependent upon regular vehicle maintenance performed by properly trained technicians.

“With a legacy of over 90 years, education, awareness, and regular maintenance has always been a key part of commercial vehicle safety,” Andersky said. “For decades, we’ve offered regular in-depth training programs to keep maintenance professionals up-to-date on the latest systems, from the traveling air-brake boards in the back of station wagons to our online education programs.”

Helping Drivers Prepare

According to the FMCSA’s 2020 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics, nearly a half million crashes (499,415) involving large trucks occurred in 2018. That averages out to 57 crashes per hour – almost one every minute.

Andersky noted, “What the FMCSA information tells us is that Class 8 tractor-trailers are likely involved in a sizeable percentage of heavy truck crashes that happen out on the road. That’s why we see technologies such as electronic stability control, collision mitigation, and others being mandated or made on many of today’s OEM tractor models. In turn, that means it’s increasingly important to prepare and educate drivers on how these systems work and what support they provide out on the road.”

“With this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week focus on speeding, it’s also worth pointing out that Fusion’s forward-facing camera enables the system to read roadside speed limit signs and provide Overspeed Alert and Action,” said TJ Thomas, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions, Controls. “Like all Bendix technologies, these aren’t driver replacement systems – they’re driver assistance systems that are engineered to help keep even a good driver from having a bad day. Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times.”

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