Wabco Unveils OnGuardACTIVE Collision-Mitigation System

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Truck-controls vendor Wabco introduced an enhanced collision-mitigation system that uses a 77 GHz radar that the company said maintains performance in all weather situations and provides longer-range detection than competing systems that use 24 GHz radar.

OnGuardACTIVE was introduced March 25 at the Mid-America Trucking Show here.

Nik Varty, president of Wabco Americas, said OnGuardACTIVE can analyze traffic up to 650 feet ahead of the truck and that it is effective when camera-based sensors may not work. Wabco’s system does not use a camera.

When the radar detects objects that may be a “critical driving” situation, it sends acoustic, visual and haptic signals. If the driver doesn’t take action to correct the problem, the system applies brakes to avoid or mitigate rear-end collisions.

“Wabco's new OnGuardACTIVE is our most advanced collision-mitigation system,” Varty said. He added that it works in poor-visibility systems such as heavy rain, snow or dense fog.

Varty also said Wabco has signed an agreement with Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems to provide its MAXX22T air disc brake system for trailers. 

In addition, Wabco has made a $20 million investment in video-based analytics company SmartDrive Systems, which provides predictive analytics and risk identification that can help fleets identify hazardous driving maneuvers.