Safe on the road: Electronic assistance systems
Electronic assistance systems help the driver with planning, save fuel, and also detect and avert potential accident situations in good time. They ensure that the driver can do his job efficiently, stay focussed and continue to perform effectively. MAN offers assistance systems for buses and trucks in all vehicle categories. These systems improve the safety of all road users and bring considerable economic benefits for the operator: by protecting the entire fleet from accidents and thus reducing the costs associated with vehicle damage, cargo loss, recovery operations or downtimes.
Electronic stability program (ESP)
ESP continuously monitors the ride dynamics of the vehicle and intervenes in the engine management and brake systems if the vehicle is in danger of tipping over or skidding. ESP detects dangerous situations within milliseconds and responds quickly and reliably. This means that typical accident scenarios, such as cornering too fast, slippery roads and rapid evasion manoeuvres, can be rendered harmless and the risk of an accident minimised. With articulated lorries, the semitrailer is also braked.
- Avoids the consequences of an accident caused by driving errors and emergency situations such as evasion manoeuvres at high speed
- Safety-enhancing equipment is especially suitable for vehicles with high centres of gravity, such as drinks transporters or tank vehicles for example
Lane guard system (LGS)
The Lane Guard System (LGS) is an automatic system that helps the driver stay in lane on motorways and dual carriageways. A video camera behind the windscreen continuously monitors the lane course in front of the vehicle. If the driver leaves the specified lane without indicating, a warning is issued. This feature is particularly useful on long monotonous journeys. If the driver steers the vehicle back into the lane before the response time of one second has elapsed, this would reduce the accident rate in these kind of situations by 49 percent.
- Increased driving safety on monotonous sections of the journey
- Effective, reliable warning when leaving the lane
Automatic cruise control (ACC)
The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) adapts automatically to the road speed and proximity of the vehicles in front and maintains a constant safety distance by accessing the engine management, retarders and service brake as required. A radar sensor measures the distance and speed in relation to the vehicle in front. ACC increases operating comfort and enhances driving safety by easing the load on the driver, particularly as the density of traffic increases. Brakes are applied automatically in good time to avoid emergency braking situations.
- Increased level of comfort by providing help in maintaining safety distances and support in bumper-to-bumper traffic
- Brakes are applied automatically in good time to avoid emergency braking situations
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is a standard function of the Electronic Braking System EBS that detects emergency braking situations based on the intensity of brake pedal operation. In these cases the system regulates the maximum braking pressure in the wheel-brake cylinder automatically. This ensures the shortest possible braking distance.
- Significantly reduced braking distance during emergency braking operations
- Accident avoidance or reduction of impact energy
- Reduction in downtimes and safe transportation of cargo
Continuous damping control (CDC)
Continuous damping control (CDC) in trucks and CDS in coaches prevents a build up of rolling and pitching movements during cornering, rapid lane changes or heavy braking manoeuvres. This makes the vehicle easier to control in these critical driving situations. The system automatically adjusts the hardness of the chassis damping elements to the driving situation. The damper setting is softer during normal driving situations to maximise driving comfort. The driver can also adjust the damping manually.
- Enhanced driving safety, particularly in vehicles with a high centre of gravity, such as swap body trucks, tank trucks or coaches
- Preservation of cargo, vehicle and road
- Optimum damping effect, irrespective of whether the vehicle is travelling unladen or with the maximum payload
