Mitsubishi Fuso, Mobileye roll out new safety system for FE, FG medium-duty trucks

Feb. 8, 2017

New for the 2017 model year FUSO FE and FG Series trucks is an optional collision avoidance system from Mobileye Inc. Recently, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc (MFTA) partnered with Mobileye to offer the Mobileye 6 Series Collision Avoidance System in FUSO trucks—a first for a medium-duty truck OEM.

“FUSO has always led the market in safety innovations, so it’s only fitting for us to partner with Mobileye, a leader in collision avoidance technology, to offer driver’s additional peace-of-mind when operating FUSO trucks,” said Jecka Glasman, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc. “This technology, which is increasingly found in passenger cars, is now available for FUSO medium-duty trucks.”

For a limited time, FUSO will install the Mobileye system free of charge on all of its 2017 FUSO FE and FG Series trucks. Normally, this would be a $1,000 option for customers.

According to Otto Schmid, MFTA’s director, product management: “We recognize that driver efficiency and safety have direct impact on the bottom line for all of our FUSO customers. The Mobileye Collision Avoidance System has proved itself in our testing to reduce the number of incidents that trigger warnings for tailgating, lane departure, urban collision, and rural or highway collision by an average of 50%.”

The study conducted by MFTA also showed that where drivers received specific training in system safety detection and operation, reductions were significantly higher. “This can be a real advantage in not only fleet safety, but also in helping to reduce insurance costs and driver turnover,” Schmid said.

With FUSO’s cab-over-engine design that increases the driver’s visibility, the addition of Mobileye systems further enhances the safe operation of the truck, especially in the densely populated urban areas where most FUSO trucks are found.

Moran David, Mobileye’s director of business development, said: “We’re happy that MFTA has chosen Mobileye to provide FUSO trucks with what we believe to be the most advanced collision avoidance system available specifically for truck applications. We look forward to a long and rewarding partnership.”

The Mobileye system’s forward-looking sensors act as a never-distracted and never-fatigued “third eye” and can detect and warn of an imminent rear-end collision at any vehicle speed, with up to 2.7 seconds of advance notice. The Mobileye system identifies pedestrians and cyclists during daylight hours and alerts drivers in the event of a possible collision.

The headway monitor assists the driver in maintaining a safe following distance from the vehicle in front, displaying the amount of time, in seconds, to the vehicle in front when that time drops below 2.5 seconds. A green vehicle icon signifies safe headway, a red icon signifies unsafe and the system provides an alert if the time becomes dangerously short. The lane departure warning alerts the driver when the vehicle departs from the driving lane without turn signals, by displaying a right- or left-lane icon, as appropriate.

The system also detects and classifies various speed limit signs and provides a visual alert when the vehicle's speed exceeds the posted speed limit by 10 miles per hour. If conditions such as bad weather, direct sunlight or a dirty windshield might compromise the sensors’ detection range, the system dims the display to alert the driver.

For more information visit www.mitfuso.com.