“With electronic stability control and collision mitigation, the safest mode of transportation just got even better,” says Trish Reed, vice president and general manager at IC Bus. “IC Bus is able to bring these advanced technologies to customers in a cost-effective manner, while delivering added peace of mind to school districts, school bus contractors, students and their parents.”
With the new standard systems in place, IC Bus also states it the only OEM to offer a collision mitigation technology with active as well as passive safety features, reflecting the most robust collision mitigation offering in the industry. The Bendix Wingman Advanced collision mitigation system is standard on all CE Series and RE Series models with air brakes. The Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system is also an option on CE Series buses. The Bendix ESP full stability system is standard in CE Series and RE Series models with air brakes. Electronic stability control will be available for buses with hydraulic brakes in the spring of 2019. Additionally, electronic stability control and collision mitigation will be available for propane and gasoline buses with air brakes in the spring of 2019, IC Bus adds.
The advanced technologies used in these systems support the driver with added information and intelligence, so IC Bus says drivers can sense situations quickly and completely and make informed decisions, including intervening to avoid a loss of control or a crash. The new systems also provide safety features that school bus drivers may have in their own cars as well as in commercial trucks, which may have a positive impact in recruiting and retaining drivers.
Reed notes that making these systems standard was a carefully considered decision made independently from recommendations about ESC and collision mitigation technologies recently issued by the National Transportation Safety Board, the company adds.
According to Bendix, safety systems like Bendix ESP, Wingman Advanced, and Wingman Fusion, are designed to complement safe drivers, safe driving practices, and proactive driver training programs, not replace them. Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times, the company says.
“At the end of the day, we know it is the right thing to do for the industry and our customers,” Reed says.
