Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems says there’s more to helping commercial vehicle fleets and owner-operators improve their safety performance and reduce accident-related costs than just developing new technologies.
The company recently met with key fleet customers of National Interstate Insurance Company, offering insight on today’s safety systems and the regulatory landscape, as part of its ongoing efforts to share up-to-date information and technical knowledge with the full range of participants in the U.S. commercial vehicle and transportation industries.
“From new equipment to operating standards, the commercial vehicle safety environment today is one of constant change and evolution, so communication and knowledge-sharing are incredibly important tools for everyone,” says Fred Andersky, Bendix director of customer solutions – Controls Group. “Insurance companies like National Interstate provide opportunities for their customers to learn about these technologies, serving as a valuable resource to help make commercial vehicles, fleets, and highways safer for everyone.”
Headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, National Interstate Insurance employs more than 700 people and focuses on customers in specialty insurance markets primarily related to the transportation industry. Andersky spoke to a gathering of several National Interstate fleet client groups on Feb. 12, 2016, presenting an overview of commercial vehicle safety technologies, including driver assistance systems, as well as upcoming regulations that could impact the industry.
“The more that insurers and their customers know about how technologies like blind spot detection, lane departure warning, and collision mitigation work, and the impact they can have on helping reduce incidents and the severity of incidents, the better equipped they are to help build awareness of the advantages of advanced safety technologies, and to evaluate their impact on insurance-related costs,” Andersky says. “Additionally, some of these technologies are being discussed in the context of regulation. Again, the more informed that insurers and their fleet customers are, the better the commercial vehicle industry can address these issues.”
Bendix stresses the importance of ongoing industry outreach, as well as fleet and owner-operator support, in maximizing highway safety. Driver assistance technologies, the company emphasizes, are designed to complement safe drivers, safe driving practices, and proactive driver training programs, not replace them. Bendix’s industry knowledge and technical support are part of the company’s approach to delivering on areas critical to the success of fleets and owner-operators, including safety, vehicle performance and efficiency, and lower cost of vehicle ownership, all of which strengthen return on investment in equipment and technology, the company says.
