Parts & Services:  New rules slash stopping distance

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has finally issued long-awaited new braking standards for commercial truck tractors, mandating that a tractor-trailer traveling at 60 mph must come to a complete stop in 250 ft., versus the old standard of 355 ft., a reduced truck stopping distance of roughly 30%.

For a small number of very heavy severe service tractors, the stopping distance requirement will be 310 ft. under these same conditions. In addition, this final rule requires that all heavy truck tractors must stop within 235 ft. when loaded to their “lightly loaded vehicle weight.”

Though this new regulation will be phased in over four years beginning with 2012 models, NHTSA said three-axle tractors with a GVWR of 59,600 lbs. or less must meet the reduced stopping distance requirements specified in this final rule by Aug. 1, 2011.

Two-axle tractors and tractors with a GVWR above 59,600 lbs. must meet the requirements by Aug. 1, 2013, the agency noted, adding that voluntary early compliance is permitted.

The organization also stressed that this rule applies only to truck tractors and does not impact single-unit trucks, trailers and buses.

“This is a very tough rule, but we believe the technology is out there to help trucks comply with it,” said Eric Bolton, a NHTSA spokesman. “We’re a scientific agency, so a significant amount of research went into developing this rule. We’ve made sure from a technology perspective that we’ve dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s.”

The agency estimates that the new braking requirement will save 227 lives and prevent 300 serious injuries annually. At the same time, property damage costs will be reduced by over $169 million on a yearly basis, an amount which alone is expected to exceed the total cost of the rule, NHTSA pointed out.