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This paper summarizes the progress that has occurred in Truck Safety with emphasis on the role of technology in reducing accidents and injuries. Opportunities for the future are examined including the potential for advanced collision avoidance techniques, such as electronic braking, object detection and driver awareness/fatigue countermeasures, since accident avoidance (active safety) offers the greatest potential payoff. Advanced occupant protection and crashworthiness issues (passive safety) are also addressed. The role of government in promoting technology and the need for international harmonization of standards is highlighted.

This paper presents a program to develop, build, exhibit, and test a Freightliner/Heil Advanced Concept Truck that will demonstrate experimental features for improved safety, productivity, and operational compatibility with the highway environment. The paper contains background information on the motivation for the Concept Truck. Project objectives are explained. Vehicle performance characteristics are described, along with the design features employed to achieve the desired performance. Technical specifications are listed. Finally, the proposed validation and field testing program is described.