Mack Trucks has made its proprietary collision mitigation system Mack Protect now available on Mack MD Series equipment.
The enhancement was made during Work Truck Week 2026 Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Originally introduced last year on the Class 8 Mack Pioneer, Mack Protect brings the industry-leading safety capabilities to Mack medium-duty customers for the first time. Mack Protect is a fully integrated active safety platform featuring Mack-designed radar, camera systems and detection algorithms that work together to help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of collisions. Designed to meet Mack’s rigorous performance and durability standards, the system delivers expanded detection capability, including forward — and side-looking pedestrian recognition.
The latter was a point of emphasis during the Work Truck Week launch, with Mack stating it is the first OEM to offer this angle for vocational vehicles.
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“By bringing Mack Protect to our Mack MD Series, we’re delivering heavy-duty-grade active safety to customers that operate in dense urban and regional environments,” says Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. “Situational awareness, the detection of pedestrians and Automatic Emergency Braking help our customers more safely navigate when operating in dense urban and regional environments.”
Mack Protect includes Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with an adjustable time gap, Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Speed Limit Sign Identification with overspeed alerts and right-side Lane Change and Blind Spot Support with pedestrian and bicyclist detection.
Mack describes each of the comprehensive suite of safety features as follows:
- FCW: Mack’s proprietary forward-looking radar and camera work together to identify vehicles, motorcycles, cyclists and pedestrians in front of the truck. The system alerts the driver with escalating visual and audible warnings when a potential collision risk is identified.
- ACC: The ACC system automatically adjusts the truck’s speed to maintain a safe following distance, utilizing radar to detect slower-moving vehicles in the same lane. The system can reduce cruise speed, activate the engine brake, downshift the transmission and apply service brakes when needed to maintain the selected time-gap intervals.
- AEB: If a driver has not taken action after a FCW alert, AEB automatically applies the service brakes to help avoid or reduce the severity of an impact. The system also activates brake lamps and hazard lights when necessary.
- LDW: A forward-facing camera monitors lane markings and alerts the driver if the truck unintentionally drifts into another lane. Audible cues come from the left or right speaker depending on which lane boundary is crossed.
- Speed limit sign recognition with overspeed alert: A forward-looking camera detects U.S. and Canadian speed limit signs and displays them on the CoPilot display. The system issues increasing alerts when the truck exceeds posted speed limits by 5 miles per hour and again at 10 miles per hour.
- Lane Change and Blind Spot Support: Dual side-facing sensors provide expanded detection capability for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians along the passenger-side of the truck. The system issues visual and audible warnings to help mitigate right-side blind-spot incidents during lane changes.
“These safety features reflect our commitment to providing customers with technology that supports their drivers while protecting others on the road,” says Alex Lee, Mack senior product manager, vocational and medium duty. “Mack Protect brings premium collision mitigation capability to medium-duty customers who expect heavy-duty Mack-level quality, durability and uptime.”
