ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITH BRAKING ACTION

ET Braking System Pty Ltd has devised a system to reduce the braking distance of vehicles and also adding the convenience of single pedal operation for stop and start vehicles like waste management trucks, buses and taxis increasing productivity. It can be fitted either by retrofit or as part of the original equipment of the vehicle.

The system aims to help drivers’ performance by reducing fatigue and decrease the stopping distance in emergency braking situations. This innovation is also expected to reduce the road accident rate and the severity of injuries sustained in such incidents.

No modifications are done to the existing braking system. It works independent to autonomous braking system.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A test program, which compared an ETBS equipped vehicle to one without, was conducted on the effect of the ETBS on emergency braking. When decelerating from 80km/h, the ETBS equipped vehicle would reach 20 km/h 5.1 metres before the vehicle without ETBS. The vehicle without ETBS would be still travelling at 35.2 km/h. The research results relating impact speed to pedestrian injury obtained by Ashton SJ and Mackay1 (1979) shows that in an impact with a pedestrian at a speed of 35km/h for the standard vehicle, there is a possibility of fatal injury occurring to a pedestrian, a 65% chance of serious injury and about a 32% chance of slight injury. While at an impact speed of 20 km/h for the ETBS equipped vehicle, the injuries are most likely to be slight with only a 10 to 15% risk of being severe.

A pedestrian impact involving braking from speed, the vehicle with ETBS gives a significant reduction in injury risk. Similarly, in a vehicle to vehicle impact involving braking from speed, the vehicle with ETBS gives a significant reduction in injury risk as well.

1. Ashton SJ, Mackay GM (1979) “Some characteristics of the population who suffer trauma as pedestrians when hit by cars and some resulting implications”. Proceedings of the 4th IRCOBI Conference.

WASTE MANAGEMENT VEHICLES

Given the frequent starting and stopping nature of waste collection vehicles, the ETBS equipped within such vehicles may assist in reducing driver fatigue, reducing stopping distances in emergency braking situations and thus generally increase overall vehicle and driver productivity.

EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES

The emergency Vehicle Driver Training for United States Fire Administration2 states that “the emergency vehicle driver must possess fine coordination in controlling his vehicle and reacting to traffic problems. He cannot drive faster than traffic permits, nor should he drive faster than his ability to stop in an emergency. Excessive speed, reckless driving, failing to slow down or obey signals, disregarding traffic rules and regulations, and failing to heed warning signals are often factors in such emergency vehicle accidents. It is in this area that the ETBS has the potential to assist the emergency vehicle driver by speeding response times and reducing braking distances.

2. Klien Lj, Lane SC (1996) “Emergency Vehicle Driver Training”, Federal Emergency Management Agency FA110.