Truck maker says automated braking is fitted on all trucks with 440hp (2,300Nm) or more
Scania Australia has announced Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) will be fitted in all stock prime movers with 440hp (2,300Nm) or above.
The move, which the truck maker says began in the second half of last year, is part of its “push to help reduce death and injury on the roads” and will cover all imported P-, G-, and R-series trucks with the high output.
Scania says the solution utilises the camera and radar functions of both the lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control systems – both of which are included in the safety upgrade – to automatically brake and intervene when it senses the chance of two vehicles colliding or when the truck may hit a stationary object.
The solution is able to slow or completely stop the vehicle should the driver fail to apply the brake.
“We believe this could be of significant benefit in preventing a possibly fatal accident occurring, should the driver fall asleep or be incapacitated for some reason,” Scania Australia’s new vehicle technical support specialist Ian Butler says.
“We also engineered a full size bull bar locally that is compatible with the system’s radar, in association with Advanced Herd Bars, one of our national suppliers.”
Applicable in speeds above 15km/h, the AEB system works in three stages.
The first stage is to alert the driver, including a warning light on the dashboard and audible signal; the second is a gentle application of the brake; and the third, should the driver fail to respond, is a full application of the brake.
To curtail the warnings, the driver may press the AEB button on the dashboard or apply the brake pedal themselves.
To steer away from the impending collision, the application of the accelerator, including activating the kickdown, will also override the AEB system.
Scania says the majority of vehicles under the 440hp (2,300Nm) threshold can be ordered with the AEB system, and vehicles above the line can also be customised to not include the system.