OTTAWA, Ont. – Transport Canada is consulting with the trucking industry on the use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and to determine whether such safety systems should be mandated on new heavy trucks.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has submitted feedback after discussions with carriers, suppliers, and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA).
“CTA believes that driver assist systems available for heavy-duty trucks (Class 8), combined with appropriate training, could be a significant factor in maintaining and improving safety performance,” said CTA’s Geoff Wood.
The CTA says a wide range of stakeholders need to present their input, and any mandate needs to consider Canadian challenges regarding seasonality.
“Once all of these groups are at the table, we can collectively examine crash data and assess technologies that are strongly being considered for mandate in the U.S., which is where the bulk of heavy truck and trailer manufacturing takes place, and determine the suitability of these technologies for Canada’s over-the-road and vocational sectors,” said Wood.
“Extracting as much data as possible from the systems will provide the insight needed to account for the unique Canadian trucking experience, which includes heavier weights and seasonal and climatic differences.”
The CTA is also encouraging government to incentivize fleets who purchase and install ADAS, in exchange for sharing data with regulators.