TROY, Mich. — Meritor Wabco says a new study validates the life-saving potential of its collision mitigation system.

The study, by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found Meritor Wabco’s OnGuard collision mitigation system would have been able to eliminate 24% of fatalities and 23% of injuries resulting from actual truck crashes analyzed in the study.

The study also looked at next-generation collision mitigation systems, and found that fatality reductions using the next version of the system could reduce fatalities by 44% and injuries by 46%.

Looking further down the road, “future-generation CMS” could generate an estimated reduction of 57% in fatalities and 56% in injuries, the study found. And if all straight trucks and tractor semi-trailers used the systems, the combined economic savings could total $1.4 billion for current systems, $2.6 billion for next-generation systems and $3.1 for future-generation systems.

Also, a comparison between a fleet with and without collision mitigation technology showed fleets without CMS were 2.26 times more likely to be the striking vehicle in a rear-end crash than trucks equipped with collision mitigation systems.

“These are clearly significant results that further affirm the extensive benefits of CMS technology, which was pioneered by Meritor Wabco in North America. Furthermore, the study underscores the additional benefits of recent OnGuard system improvements and our near-term technology enhancements,” said Jon Morrison, president and general manager, Meritor Wabco. “Commercial vehicle fleets recognize the critical necessity for cost-effective safety technology that accounts for the needs of the fleet, the driver and the public. NHTSA’s proactive approach to provide substantive data to support informed decisions on safety technologies, including CMS, is highly beneficial for the industry.”

Morrison added praise for UMTRI for conducting the study.

“UMTRI deserves accolades for devising a unique simulation method that enables the objective assessment of the benefits of collision mitigation systems from the perspective of both avoiding and mitigating crash severity,” Morrison said. “We also commend NHTSA for their leadership in addressing crash avoidance technologies.”