New Safety Devices for Windshields May be Underway Says the FMCSA

The FMCSA’s new proposal is looking to change the rules and allow for increased windshield area to apply safety technology devices. According to the proposal, devices can be mounted or placed on the interior windshield in commercial motor vehicles.

If accepted, the proposal will make temporary exemptions (fixed number) for motor carriers, technology companies (established before 2017), and truck manufacturers. In addition to that, the proposal will incorporate items to broaden the horizon of vehicle safety technology. These items are typically a response to a rulemaking petition that Daimler Trucking North America issued.

Safety Technology Devices for Windshields – What’s the Purpose?

The FMCSA’s new proposal to mount safety devices on windshields aims to increase the available area for controlled windshield-mounted safety technology deployment. This will play a crucial role in maintaining warning systems of lane departments and improving automatic emergency braking systems. Both systems have the potential to reduce the number of accidents, fatalities, property damages, and most importantly, injuries.

According to the FMCSA, the expanded location of safety devices will not be more than 216 mm (8.5 inches). It will be placed above the lowest edge of the sweeping area (175mm). They will keep pace with other hi-tech advances and help drivers meet statutory requirements. It doesn’t end here; this in-car safety technology can impact truck driver’s premium costs. The advanced safety system can help drivers prevent accidents and reduce the cost of repairs. Therefore, this can lead to a lower number of claims filed and insurance premiums may decrease as a result.

What Does Vehicle Safety Technology Include?

The current regulatory definition of vehicle safety technology incorporates the following;

Behavior or performance management system
Fleet-related incident management system
Lane-departure warning system
Mitigation collision warning
Transponder and active cruise control system

Under the FMCSA’s proposal, there are other components in regulatory definition including;

Driver camera systems
Braking warning systems
Automatic emergency braking
Braking assist systems
Attention assist warning
Traffic sign recognition
Global positioning systems

Advanced vehicle safety technology includes devices and systems containing lidar, sensors, cameras, and videos.

Summing Up

All in all, regulators of the proposal believe that it’s an excellent way to reduce barriers and hurdles in the deployment and development of safety features. It promises to improve safety, effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency. This will be extremely beneficial for trucking companies by reducing the amount of claims filed due to accidents. Hopefully this will lower insurance premiums for truckers and help them save. Thus, the article explains how the FMCSA’s safety devices for windshields will protect truckers and other drivers while on the road.