400 Billion Miles a Year

You were right when you thought you drove a lot of miles a year – just look at that total on the headline again. A lot of miles for just over 3 million truckers. Please drive safely as you do every day today, but add a little extra caution, if you would. Let’s reduce the number of fatalities which has started creeping up again. Professional Your were right when you thought you drove a lot of miles a year – just look at that total on the headline again. A lot of miles for just over 3 million truckers. Please drive safely as you do every day today, but add a little extra caution, if you would. Let’s reduce the number of fatalities which has started creeping up again. Professional drivers, like yourself, know how this can be done. Have a look at the Bendix press release about this:

ELYRIA, Ohio – Oct. 9, 2012 – Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC endorses Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, October 10. Founded in 2001 and overseen by the Transportation & Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day highlights a variety of methods to help reduce the number of accidents on American highways.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has estimated that 32,310 people died in traffic crashes in 2011, a 1.7 percent decline from 2010. However, projections from the first half of 2012 showed an estimated 16,290 fatalities – an increase of about 9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2011.

With more than 3.1 million truck drivers logging approximately 400 billion total miles a year, according to the American Trucking Associations, commercial vehicles make up a significant portion of the highway landscape. Bendix believes that there’s no trucking industry substitute for safe drivers practicing safe driving habits and comprehensive driver training. Technologies like today’s high-performance braking systems, engineered to meet new, stringent stopping distance regulations for commercial vehicles, along with active safety technologies, such as stability and collision mitigation systems, help good, safety-conscious drivers bring about even safer roadways.

“Safe driving practices by everyone behind the wheel of any vehicle – no matter the vehicle – are the most crucial factor in preventing highway fatalities,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government and industry affairs. “By providing fleets and drivers with the most advanced braking systems available, we aim to help improve the highways for everyone.”

The NHTSA Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) mandate established a 30 percent reduction in stopping distance for most commercial vehicles by Aug. 1, 2011. A second phase of implementation will take effect in August 2013.

While the RSD mandate does not apply to all commercial vehicles, the braking systems developed to meet the more stringent standards can improve safety performance across the spectrum of these vehicles. Straight trucks, buses, and motorcoaches equipped with air disc or drum brakes provide surer, safer stops with less fade and perform better at high speeds.

In marking Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, Bendix reminds fleets and drivers about the importance of proper brake maintenance, inspection, and parts replacement.

Bendix’s pre-trip inspection recommendations include checking for leaks with a 90 to 100 psi brake application, examining brake shoes for cracks and lining thickness, and measuring chamber stroke on each wheel-end, in accordance with Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) and industry standard practices. For foundation drum brakes, fleets should follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the adjustment of slack adjusters. General wheel-end inspections should also include close attention to the rubber boots on brakes, where cracks or tears can allow moisture to get inside.

Bendix also stresses the importance of maintaining brake systems with the original replacement parts specifically engineered to meet the higher standards of the federal RSD mandate. Choosing non-OE replacement brake lining or slack adjusters in a drum brake, for example, can significantly reduce performance, increase stopping distance, and create a safety hazard.

“Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day brings into sharp focus the importance of addressing highway safety from all angles and the critical support advanced braking and active safety systems can provide to help drivers mitigate crash situations,” Andersky said. “Across the commercial vehicle industry, the contribution of fleet leadership, drivers, owner/operators, technicians, and technologies is essential to preventing accidents and improving the safety of our roads.”

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, energy management solutions, and air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,700 people, Bendix is driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle safety, performance and overall operating cost. Bendix is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Bowling Green, Ky.; Huntington, Ind.; and Acuña, Mexico. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.bendix.com.