Emergency Braking System Halts Runaway Trucks

In the 2010 thriller Unstoppable Denzel Washington risks life, limb and just about everything else to stop an unmanned runaway freight train carrying toxic chemicals from crashing into populated areas and causing major death and destruction.

It may be a bit of a long bow to draw but if only that locomotive had air brakes, Denzel could have stayed at home with his feet up while an Australian-designed and developed product brought things calmly under control.

Unlike trains, trucks and buses do have air brakes and, like the locomotive in Unstoppable, they occasionally get out of control when they’re meant to be parked due to driver error.

Which is where the innovative Parksafe Emergency Braking System comes into the picture; promising to prevent the risk of runaway trucks and buses due to drivers failing to apply their park brakes.

The manufacturer says the system works on any vehicle with air brakes, including those with dual valve systems, and can be installed at vehicle construction stage or as an aftermarket accessory.

Depending on the type of vehicle, the Australian designed, developed and manufactured product utilises a combination of sensors in the cabin, driver’s seat or vehicle door, to monitor the position of the driver and status of the vehicle.

The ADR-compliant unit can detect when a driver exits the cabin of a bus, truck or other heavy vehicle without having first applied the park brake, and acts on the vehicle’s normal park brake to prevent runaway.

The manufacturer says Parksafe works in parallel with the existing park brake system and is installed using custom valves that apply and release the park brake, the manufacturer says.

It features an internal siren and dash mounted LED to inform a driver of the system state, and will only apply the emergency park brake at speeds below 7km/h. A standard SD card records activations, while the system can be upgraded to include integrated Bluetooth, Wireless and GPS for customised data collection. The system has been in development over five years with units in use by at least one state government for the past two years, a spokesperson said.  

The electronic device can reduce the risk of injury or death and property damage, while also reducing insurance premiums and increasing employee safety, according to the manufacturer.

As good as it is, however, Parksafe won’t protect against mechanical failure or a driver falling asleep, becoming ill or dying at the wheel.

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...