The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the industry's first major comparative analysis of roll stability systems (RSS) based on carrier operational data. ATRI's study analyzed crash rates, crash costs, and technology costs for roll stability control (RSC) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems compared to vehicles without any RSS technology.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a proposed new federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) that would mandate ESC on all new truck tractors with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds and higher.
ATRI's research, based on data from over 135,000 heavy trucks, indicated that installation of RSC technology may result in fewer rollover and jackknife crashes compared to trucks equipped with ESC. Furthermore, the study found that RSC installation costs were significantly lower than ESC installation costs.
The full study can be requested from ATRI's website at www.atri-online.org.