A selection of older Kenworth trucks will be able to upgrade the braking elements on board to meet the requirements of the latest Australian Design Rules (ADRs) which came into play in February this year.
The new ADRs made it mandatory for all heavy vehicles to be fitted with Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) in order to be sold after February 2025.
While Kenworth has offered the product in some of its models for several years, there are older trucks out there that did not have it included in their safety package at purchase.
Upgrading the safety packages would effectively bring the trucks in line with ADR 97/00 ensuring they are compliant with the very latest safety expectations set by the Australian Government.
Specialist braking business Knorr-Bremse’s technical and account manager Brett Medlin says Advanced Emergency Braking packages are designed to detect likely forward collisions, alert drivers, and automatically apply the brakes if the driver does not respond.
He says the crucial technology seeks to minimise the severity of in-lane frontal collisions, particularly in monotonous highway driving conditions.
“Bendix Fusion is an Advanced Driver Assistance [package] designed to enhance vehicle control and safety across diverse driving conditions. The technology is already fitted as standard on most new Kenworth models, ensuring compliance with ADR 97/00,” Medlin says.
PACCAR has been an early adopter of AEB technology, equipping locally-manufactured Kenworths with the Bendix Fusion technology since the model T610 which launched in 2016.
This integrated system combines radar, camera technology, and the Bendix ESP (Electronic Stability Program) to provide comprehensive collision mitigation and enhanced braking capabilities to improve road safety.
Medlin says the collision mitigation package PACCAR uses on its locally-manufactured Kenworth trucks is the fully-featured version of Bendix Fusion that includes Enhanced Autonomous Emergency Braking, Enhanced Stationary Vehicle Braking, Multi-lane Autonomous Emergency Braking, and Highway Departure Warning and Braking.
“Nose-to-tail collisions are the second-most common accident involving trucks after rollovers,” Medlin says.
“In scenarios like a car cutting off a truck, or moving out from a lane of stationary traffic in front of the truck, the Bendix Fusion braking system applies the brakes in a much faster way than a driver can react.”
PACCAR Parts is now providing its customers the ability to upgrade certain older Kenworth trucks that are compatible with the latest Bendix Fusion system.
“Most Kenworth trucks that have an electronic stability program on it could have the electronic brake controller upgraded with Bendix Fusion. So long as you’ve got the right level of electronics and valves on the truck, you can retrofit it,” Medlin says.
“AEBS not only improves the safety of these vehicles, but a lot of tenders including government, construction and grocery projects specify the level of technology that must be on the truck, including the fitment of AEBS.”
Medlin says PACCAR customers who are considering retrofitting the Bendix Fusion to their vehicles should speak to their PACCAR Parts dealer. The dealer will coordinate with PACCAR’s technical team and Knorr-Bremse’s technical support team to ensure the chassis number is compatible and guide the implementation of the retrofit safety package.
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