Two leaders from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems were part of an industry panel that met with legislators and regulators on Capitol Hill this week to discuss the impact proposed legislation could have on the safety of America’s highways.
The panel was charged with advocating for the adoption of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Advanced Safety Technology Act of 2007 – also known as H.R. 3820. Introduced in October 2007, H.R. 3820 would provide a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the cost of a qualifying commercial vehicle safety system. The panel’s presentations and targeted meetings provided information about the importance of the safety technologies for which the act would provide incentives, including vehicle stability systems, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, and brake stroke monitoring systems.
Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president of the controls and modules group, and Fred Andersky, Bendix marketing manager for electronics, were part of the panel, which was assembled by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). A part of the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the Alliance selected leaders from key technology providers to represent the industry on the panel. The group met with members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure and Ways and Means committees, the Senate Commerce and Finance committees, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
“By offering meaningful tax incentives to fleets and heavy vehicle operators that implement active safety-enhancing technologies, H.R. 3820 could help ensure not only the safe operation of commercial vehicles, but also the safety of our nation’s roadways,” Burkhart said.
NHTSA statistics report that between 2001 and 2005, more than 25,000 fatalities resulted from crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles. In addition to injury and loss of life, these accidents can cause productivity-robbing traffic delays and lost time due to out-of-service vehicles. Bendix believes H.R. 3820 has the potential to significantly accelerate the implementation of safety technologies that can help prevent these incidents.
During the Capitol Hill meetings, Bendix experts highlighted the benefits of two safety technologies that could be covered by H.R. 3820: electronic stability control and adaptive cruise control.
