ORLANDO, Fla. – Wabco, introduced Wabco OnSide, an advanced blind spot detection system for commercial trucks and trailers.

The radar-based system alerts drivers of the presence of a moving vehicle in a truck’s blind spot and provides a side collision warning to reduce the risk of accidents. OnSide helps improve commercial vehicle safety by alerting drivers to the potential of a side collision with a vehicle traveling in a truck’s “blind spot.” The system uses advanced short range radar to detect a moving vehicle in the blind spot and then alerts the driver with a visual signal. When the truck’s turn signal is engaged, the system provides a more assertive warning in the form of an audible signal or a seat vibration.

When used in conjunction with Wabco’s OnLaneAssist lane keeping assist system, OnSide has the capability to go beyond warning to enable active collision avoidance. In that case, if a lane change is initiated and OnSide detects a vehicle in the adjacent lane, OnLaneAssist applies a correction torque to the steering wheel to return the vehicle towards the lane center. Wabco’s lane keeping assist system also smoothly releases the torque as soon as the proper driving path is reestablished.

WABCO OnSide’s radar sensor enables a 160-degree field of view and provides coverage for up to 65 percent of a standard 53-foot trailer. The system performs reliably even in low visibility conditions such as darkness, fog, rain or snow. In addition, WABCO OnSide distinguishes moving vehicles from objects that do not pose a hazard, thereby minimizing false warnings. OnSide can be mounted out of sight behind fairings on either side of the vehicle and features plug-and-play functionality that does not require alignment or calibration.

“We are proud to present OnSide, the latest in a long history of WABCO innovations that improve commercial vehicle safety,” said Jon Morrison, Wabco president, Americas. “This advanced blind spot detection system not only provides a solution to help reduce side collisions involving commercial vehicles, but it also provides capability for active collision avoidance for the autonomous vehicles of the future.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that among the 97,000 annual large truck crashes involving intentional lane changes, side view assist technologies could prevent or mitigate nearly 39,000 crashes annually, including 2,000 that result in injury and 79 that cause fatalities.

OnSide will be available as a retrofit kit in November 2017 and through major North American truck manufacturers in the first quarter of 2018.