Western Star Adds Safety Features to its Vocational Trucks

Western Star Trucks, a Daimler Truck North America brand, has added safety features for its vocational models, Western Star X-Series 47X and 49X. The new X-Series was developed with safety as a top priority, the company said, and it now incorporates more advanced safety features as standard.

Active Brake Assist

Detroit Assurance, with Active Brake Assist (ABA5), has extended its offering to vocational customers as a standard feature. Owners with 47X and 49X trucks can now benefit from the added safety regardless of powertrain, Western Star said.

Backup Alerts

Additionally, the X-Series trucks now offer a factory-installed backup alert system, which includes a 7-inch integrated touchscreen display, a backup camera, and a reverse proximity sensor. The backup alert system seamlessly integrates into the cab’s design, Western Star said.

 Job Site Safety

“This is an important milestone in our pursuit of job site safety,” said Aaron Scates, vice president of vocational and medium duty market development at DTNA. “The vocational market covers a broad spectrum of applications, and with these added safety features integrated into our cab and chassis from the factory, vocational owners and operators can feel at ease having the additional layer of safety, no matter the job.”

Expansion of Detroit Assurance

Western Star said Detroit Assurance, a suite of safety systems, actively works to help mitigate or lessen the severity of a collision by detecting and alerting drivers when potential incidents can occur.

Previously it was only available for customers with Detroit engines, however, now all customers can have these advanced safety features, including those choosing third-party engines. Safety features like ABA5, Side Guard Assist (SGA), lane departure warning, intelligent high-beam, and automatic wipers and headlamps will now be available for all Western Star 47X and 49X customers.

Fully Integrated Back-Up Camera

Instead of retrofit solutions, customers will now have two available options for a backup camera installation, opting for either an end-of-frame mounted camera or a fully prepped camera with added harness length that will allow end customers or truck equipment manufacturers (TEMs) to easily relocate the backup camera to align with the body needs.

Pairing with the factory backup camera, Western Star said drivers will have increased visibility of their rearview surroundings through the fully integrated 7-inch touchscreen display, which will support steering wheel controls, hands-free calling, and USB-C and Bluetooth connection. The interactive touchscreen display will also come standard with GPS navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

With the introduction of this new passive safety feature, customers will have the convenience to have a fully integrated backup alert system from the factory which will reduce upfit time, the company said.

All necessary components for proper installation will be provided from the factory, and an optional extension harness can be ordered to accommodate specific body needs. The newest offerings aim to reduce the installation process time by directly mounting or installing in-cab display units to the camera system.

The Backup Alert System 7-inch Interactive touchscreen display and backup camera with proximity sensor will be available for ordering in spring 2024, with deliveries starting later this year.