NHTSA institutes braking rules for large trucks, aims to cut stopping distances by 30%
The current standard for big rig braking is that a vehicle traveling at 60 mph needs to stop in 355 feet or less. It isn't entirely clear on what sort of distance most new heavy trucks need to brake from that speed, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is sharply reducing that distance for 2012 and beyond, with a new standard of 250 feet. NHTSA says the increased braking capabilities will save 227 lives per year, while averting over 300 serious injuries.
In theory, insurance companies will also receive a boost, as fewer accidents would save $169 million in property damages per year.
NHTSA says that the new standard will help usher in the newest brake technology into U.S. truck fleets. The government agency says that increased truck safety standards have resulted in fewer truck-related traffic fatalities in the U.S., as 2008 saw a 12% drop versus 2007. Hit the jump to read over NHTSA's official press release.
[Source: NHTSA | Image: Scott Olson/Getty]
PRESS RELEASE:
Tough New Braking Rules For Large Trucks Will Save Hundreds of Lives Annually
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today issued stringent new braking standards that will save lives by improving large truck stopping distance by 30 percent.
NHTSA estimates that the new braking requirement will save 227 lives annually, and will also prevent 300 serious injuries. It is estimated to reduce property damage costs by over $169 million annually.
"Safety is our highest priority," Secretary LaHood said. "Motorists deserve to know they are sharing the road with large trucks that are up to the safest possible standards, so they can get home alive to their families."
The new standard requires that a tractor-trailer traveling at 60 miles per hour come to a complete stop in 250 feet. The old standard required a complete stop within 355 feet.
The new regulation will be phased in over four years beginning with 2012 models.
The new rule should speed up the introduction of the latest brake technology into America's freight hauling fleets and will help truck drivers avoid collisions with other vehicles.
The new rule applies only to truck tractors, and does not include single-unit trucks, trailers and buses.
The latest statistics from NHTSA show that large commercial vehicles continue to show a decrease in their involvement in fatal crashes. In 2008, 4,229 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, down 12 percent from the 4,822 deaths recorded in 2007
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
paul34 4:02PM (7/24/2009)
I have no idea what exactly is the latest and greatest in truck braking tech so I have no idea if such a requirement is feasible or not.
At any rate, something tells me accidents involving big rigs would be reduced if we started catching and punishing all those d-bags on the road who think it's 100% ok to cut off big rigs, making them jacknife, possibly injure the driver, and tie up traffic for hours on hours... all while said d-bag goes on with her/his day, completely oblivious to what they just did.
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Paxx 4:07PM (7/24/2009)
I agree with the no cutting off of semis but really really really there has to be a better alternative than to have them sitting in a lane slowing down traffic. Passive agressive behaviour results in full on road rage.
DonKingKong 4:17PM (7/24/2009)
This is an easy fix for most big rig companies. All they have to do is get rid of the drum brakes they have been using for the last 100 years and upgrade to disc brakes. Although, some companies offer disc brakes now, but I believe it's still an option that most don't get. It's amazing how most rigs haven't changed over the years, you look a 2008 peterbilt and it's basically the same as they were in 1978, hell they don't even have electric windows today, they use air to roll the window up and down, kind of weird.
Donovan 4:24PM (7/24/2009)
This is a video that compares drum vs disc on a big rig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v57K1WW41K8
paul34 4:25PM (7/24/2009)
Well I think the reason why disc brakes weren't used on trucks is that in the past, disc brakes wouldn't have cut it for the weight and heat generated by slowing down just a few times. With modern designs and technologies, perhaps it is now feasible... and perhaps it is what the NHTSA is thinking about here.
But remember, we're talking about trucks, and not cars and passenger vehicle versions of drum and disc brakes.
Franz 4:27PM (7/24/2009)
Disc brakes may be better at dissipating heat, therefore reducing fade & stopping distances, but I think drum brakes have been proven to be more durable over time, as long as they get adequate cooling... which I suppose is more important when trying to slow thousands of pounds mile after mile. I remember watching something about truck racing somewhere... don't remember quite where right now... but the racer they were interviewing was saying disc brakes just weren't durable enough, and as such were impractical. They had to have gallons of water onboard to cool their drum brakes though, and had to refill everytime they pitted or the brakes would grenade. I think the whole issue of brakes on heavy machinery like trucks may be a little more complicated than we might think, but I'm definitely not an expert on the subject.
BoxerFanatic 4:27PM (7/24/2009)
Sorry, but drum brakes have a LOT more friction surface, and thermal mass than discs do. There is a reason they are still used in those applications.
Somehow arbitrarily saying, "I want this, make it so!" seems like a bad plan, or more aptly, NO plan.
There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of diesel rigs on the road... even ones sold very recently.
Waiving a magic wand doesn't stop tons of mass in 2/3rds the distance, just because you want it to.
If you are going to turn kinetic energy from inertia or momentum into heat, you had better have a damn good plan for how to do that without breaking parts, or cooking components, blowing tires, shifting loads, and all sorts of other considerations.
But hey... government ruined the rail-road industry in the LAST century, by helping to make it uncompetitive with over-the-road trucking, maybe they feel the need to attack the trucking industry for this century.
Government never earned a dime, and someone is going to have to pay to re-fit, or replace a HELL of a lot of trucks. Or pay to fail at attempting it. Every good or material you buy will be pushed to a little bit higher of a price, when the trucks to carry it must expense those costs to their freight customers, which flows down through the retailers.
All grandiose plans until the bill shows up.
HotRodzNKustoms 4:47PM (7/24/2009)
100% agree with you that people should just stop cutting big rigs off.
As far as braking performance goes here is the thing:
The brakes currently on big rigs are already powerful enough to lock up all the wheels fully loaded. I think (I'm not an expert) the only way to slow a big rig down faster is to improve tire technology or add more wheels so you have more friction surface on the ground, but that will add a lot of money to operation costs tires, brakes, fuel, etc...
the4thheat 6:35PM (7/24/2009)
There's plenty of idiots out there but there's also plenty of tired truck drivers out there who've been driving for a loooong time who don't always notice things as quickly as they should. And being rear ended by a truck is pretty much a recipe for guaranteed death.
Anyways since this distance is still pretty massive I would hope it's actually fairly easily doable. I suspect many trucks already meet this stopping distance requirement so it's not quite as drastic as it may sound. Mostly just gets ancient rigs which people are overloading with cargo off the road which I don't see as a problem.
MikeW 6:58PM (7/24/2009)
The reason trucks never went to disc brakes, en masse, was because truckers are taught to not use the brakes. Brakes were for emergency stops, and the combination of low heat dissipation + high thermal mass was enough.
The are instructed to use the jake brake for fighting gravity.
I've even heard them use it in stop-go traffic.
Well tires have improved, just a little over the last 30 years, so it is time for discs on the tractor.
waiownsyou 4:04PM (7/24/2009)
Today is a good day for Optimus Prime.
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John 4:07PM (7/24/2009)
The closest truck in that picture looks straight out of Mad Max or something! Who needs to stop in a truck like that!?!?!?!
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Matt (that likes ford) 4:26PM (7/24/2009)
LOL!
I thought the same thing until I realized that this truck is actually just farther forward than the rest.
That row of lights on the bottom that looks like the hood is actually on the roof.
Just cover up the hood of the truck next to it and they will look relatively the same.
But in all good fun, it indeed reminded me of the Juggernaughtfrom Death Race!
John 7:18PM (7/24/2009)
Awwww... you're right. Damnit, now I am drowning in disappointment.
tankd0g 4:15PM (7/24/2009)
I'd really like to know what this "latest braking technology" is. A truck in perfect working order with it's ABS and good tires is already able to stop in as short a distance as physics will allow. If they want to shorten that distance, that will mean grippier tires that cost more and get worse fuel economy or running lighter loads.
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MikeW 7:12PM (7/24/2009)
No, we can't possibly improve on state of the art 1980's design tires. (what was the level of nano-tech 30, 20,10 years ago?)
How about directional tires? 1) same void ratio with improved water evacuation (snow too) 2) reduced void ratio for same water/snow performance with longer tread life
Something like this for the steer:http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?sidewall=Blackwall&tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+F1+GS-D3
drive:http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?sidewall=Blackwall&tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Fortera+TripleTred
trailer:http://www.tirerack.com/tires/BigPic.jsp?sidewall=Blackwall&tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Assurance+TripleTred
How often do semis rotate their wheels? [after blow out, tread separation, when it is time to recap] So directionality really shouldn't be an issue.
skablaw 4:17PM (7/24/2009)
I love how this is going to "save" $169 million, and not cost $X katrillion in parts and installation for the thousands and thousands of vehicles that will require the upgrades. I'm getting more and more tired of the NHTSA. They're sadly just like every other regulatory agency desperately seeking to maintain their relevance by doctoring statistics and manufacturing crises. I bet 227 people die trying to tie their shoe-laces every year - what a ridiculous number to chase.
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Farmboy 9:20PM (7/24/2009)
Ummm....yeah. This is a stupid idea. Yeah, maybe bigger brakes will help, but truckers and their companies already have enough costs...plus I want to know who thinks up this crap. Stopping with another 30% less distance is butting into HD diesel duallies, and that is already hard to pull off. The weight on behind and on these trucks is unbelievably heavy. This is going to be a difficult work. I'm fine with the tractor trailers drive for the farm (a few different late models). The auto industry is being hammered so hard lately....
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Ken 4:29PM (7/24/2009)
Is the panic stop limiting factor brakes or tires? There is not a lot of tire for a WHOLE lot of truck. Wheels lock way before cool truck brakes give up.
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MikeW 6:34PM (7/24/2009)
Exactly.
Upgrade the tires. The trucking industry uses tires that last for ever, and to get that longevity they give up traction.
If the standard is 1/3g, how about 1/2.5g for tractor-trailer, and 1/2g for just tractor.
Trucks have ABS, so how about stability and 'brake assist' for semis