Detroit Adds Braking to Side Guard Assist

Detroit has added Active Side Guard Assist to the Detroit Assurance suite of truck safety systems to improve safety in low-speed, passenger-side turns.

Planned for production beginning Sept. 1, Active Side Guard Assist detects moving objects in the path of a right-hand turn at speeds below 12 mph and applies the brakes, which should improve safety at intersections and in truck yards and freight terminals.

Active Side Guard Assist is an option on Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star trucks equipped with Detroit Assurance with ABA 5, including the newly released Freightliner eCascadia.

The Side Guard Assist option was originally launched in 2020 to detect and warn the driver of moving objects along the length of the passenger side of the truck, but did not provide braking. With Active Side Guard Assist, when the side-mounted radar detects a moving object, such as a pedestrian or bicyclist, along the length of the passenger side of the tractor, the driver receives a yellow warning triangle in the right side A-pillar. If the driver sets a right-hand turn signal or begins a right-hand turn, the yellow warning triangle turns red, an audible alarm sounds and braking engages.

Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 uses always-on, fused radar and camera technology to monitor the road and mitigate potential collisions.

“By alerting drivers to blind spot hazards and braking to mitigate collisions, Active Side Guard Assist adds another layer of protection for drivers and the public,” said Mary Aufdemberg, general manager of product strategy and market development, in a press release.

Detroit Assurance with ABA 5 includes features such as Active Speed Intervention, Active Brake Assist 5, Brake Hold Mode, Adaptive Cruise Control to 0 mph and Active Lane Assist.