Bendix Exec Sees More Safety Regs Coming

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More safety regulations for heavy-duty trucks are coming before the end of the decade, said Fred Andersky, director of government relations for Bendix Commercial Vehicles.

During a March 25 press briefing at the Mid-America Trucking Show here, Andersky made predictions on proposals that should be coming from the federal government. His three top choices were:

• A long-expected proposal from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on full electronic stability control probably will be published this year.

“I hope this will be the final MATS where we say this is coming,” Andersky told editors and reporters.

The Bendix product in this area is called ESP.

• On greenhouse-gas emissions, Andersky said NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency will publish their proposal by the end of June. President Obama said last year he wanted a proposal by the end of March, but Andersky said the rule is being analyzed by the White House Office of Management and Budget now, so the March 31 deadline probably won’t be met.

• Andersky also said NHTSA is looking at a mandate for collision mitigation systems for Classex 3-8 vehicles. His best guess now is a notice of proposed rulemaking by mid-2017 with an effective date by the end of 2020.

Bendix has headquarters in Elyria, Ohio, and makes brakes, safety systems and air-handling devices.