A field operational test (FOT) was recently completed to determine the potential safety benefits of advanced safety systems for heavy trucks. The safety systems in the FOT included a rear-end collision warning system (CWS), adaptive cruise control (ACC), and an electronically controlled brake system (ECBS), which included air disc brakes (ADB). These systems were developed to help reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end collisions, which accounted for 13% of all crashes involving heavy trucks in 2003.

The FOT was funded under the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI) and was managed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The industry team that conducted the test was led by Volvo Trucks North America. Battelle performed an independent evaluation of the FOT.

This paper is a summary of the FOT and independent evaluation final reports, and includes the results of safety benefit and benefit-cost analyses based on data collected during the FOT. Driver acceptance, performance, durability, reliability, and maintenance costs of the safety technologies are also reviewed.