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Hino leads the way with stability control
In a market first, stability control is now standard across Hino's new 500 Series Wide Cab rangeHino is continuing with its leadership role in truck safety in this country, being the first manufacturer to introduce vehicle stability control (VSC) as standard to its medium-duty 500 Series range.
Available now on the firm's recently released 500 Series Wide Cab models, the addition of the WABCO stability control system follows on from its introduction to the light-duty 300 Series range several years ago.
According to the Chairman and CEO of Hino Motor Sales Australia, Steve Lotter, the extension of stability control to the medium-to-heavy rigid market is a vital piece of the heavy vehicle road safety puzzle.
"Hino was the first Japanese brand to offer vehicle stability control as standard across the 300 Series range, and now with this new 500 Series we're also the first with vehicle stability control standard on all Wide Cab models," he said.
"Active safety measures are the key to accident and injury avoidance, and where available this feature will be specified on all future Hino models."
Hino's 500 Series range spans models with GVMs of 10.4t through to heavy-duty rigids of 26t.
Hino's Manager of Product Strategy for Hino Trucks and Buses, Daniel Petrovski, said Hino's safety objectives were crystal clear.
"We believe that all manufacturers build a relatively safe truck, but our goal at Hino is to build the safest Japanese truck for the Australian market," he said.
Stability control offers a distinct advantage over many other safety features, he added.
"The all-new 500 Series Wide Cab, like all Hino models, features an ECE R29 crash-test-certified cab, and all Hino models from our 10.4t FC and up feature ECE R93 FUPS [Front Underrun Protection System] and an SRS airbag – these are our passive safety [items].
"But safety, we believe, isn't just about minimising the impacts of an accident. At Hino we believe prevention is better than a cure. As such, by focusing on preventing accidents from occurring, Hino has made what we see as an easy decision to include vehicle stability control as standard right across this new model range."
Stability control relies on a number of sensors to detect whether a vehicle is about to lose control. Monitoring elements such as wheel speed, yaw rate and steering angle, if an impending loss of control is detected, the system cuts engine output and brakes wheels independently to restore control, thereby preventing an accident from occurring.
Mr Petrovski says it's inevitable that stability control will eventually become compulsory in the truck world here in Australia, as it already is for passenger cars.
"It will be mandated; it's just a matter of time," he said.
However, the introduction of VSC to prime movers and tipper-and-dog combinations presents many difficulties, given the spectrum of loads and trailers potentially entailed.
"That is one area where you have no solution today for things like tipper dogs, those sorts of applications – it's a very different to [the issue of] say Euro6, where there are solutions around the world and they [Hino] can grab one and introduce it. VSC is one that's a little more difficult."
Mr Petrovski cited recent research undertaken by the National Highway Safety Administration in the US, which found that 60 per cent of all heavy truck occupant fatalities in that country occurred due to a rollover, and another local report that found that 20 per cent of road fatalities in Queensland involve a heavy vehicle.
"It's one of the reasons why we believe VSC is a mandatory item for these new models, and more new models that Hino will introduce," he said.
"On-ramps and off-ramps for highways – this is the single most common form of rollovers in Australia. VSC will come into play and minimise the risk of those accidents."
Stability is just one of many safety features on new 500 Series Wide Cab models. The ECE R29 crash-tested cab is now even stronger, while a new staircase design sees each step protrude further as you descend, helping drivers and passengers exit the truck with full view of the next step. Longer twin grab rails make ingress and egress even safer.
A driver's airbag is standard, as is a reversing camera (with microphone). The 500 Series Wide Cab models can be optioned up with up to two further cameras if desired.
Finally, manual models are equipped with hill-start assist, which holds the truck on inclines for a period of time until the system senses clutch take-up.
The modernisation of the 500 Series Wide Cab range would filter through to the 500 Series Narrow Cab models in due course, Mr Petrovski said.
He also said the brand would do all it could to ensure Hino maintains its position at the leading edge of heavy vehicle safety.
"We will continue to push HML [Hino Motors Limited], and they are continuing to research and push these safety features and get them out into the market as soon as possible," he said.
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Written byRod Chapman
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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