Meritor Wabco Vehicle Control Systems provided fleet managers and government officials with an opportunity to experience the latest collision-safety technology for commercial trucks, buses, and trailers at a demonstration ride 'n drive event
at a closed course near Turner Field in Atlanta last week.

The program, part of a series of six annual demonstrations Meritor WABCO is holding throughout the United States, attracted more than 90 fleets and special guests.

"For most participants, this is their first experience with active safety systems," said Jon Morrison, president of Meritor Wabco. "The fleets want to see how intuitive these products are to use, and whether they will be effective at improving safety and security."

At the Atlanta event was John Hill, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who has publicly voiced his support for advanced vehicle control technologies. The FMCSA's goal is to reduce the number and severity of crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Recent research focuses on the role that drivers play in collisions; according the FMCSA, driver action or inaction is the "critical reason" for 87 percent of crashes where the cause was attributed to the commercial vehicle.

Meritor Wabco is a leader in the development of a wide range of commercial vehicle controls, including stability controls systems for trucks and trailers, and OnGuard, designed to detect objects in the vehicle's path and manage the distance between them. Both systems can automatically intervene to slow the vehicle to reduce the likelihood of a rear-end collision or loss of stability. This allows the driver time to maintain control and apply additional braking force as needed.

Over 55,000 stability control units are in use by North American motor carriers and over 1,000 OnGuard systems are operational today.

"The driver is the most important factor in the safety equation," said Alan Korn, director of engineering at Meritor Wabco. "At that split-second when a dangerous situation starts to arise, the system can give the driver the time he needs to react. These demonstrations give people the chance to see for themselves what that experience is like."