FMCSA permanently allows collision mitigation equipment

The video camera component of the Bendix Wingman Fusion collision mitigation technology and AutoVue Lane Departure Warning System will remain compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, according to a news release.

The federal agency recently made permanent an exemption allowing the technology. The rule change goes into effect Oct. 24 and allows devices using vehicle safety technology to be placed on the interior of commercial vehicle windshields within the area swept by windshield wipers.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC previously received a two-year exemption and several subsequent two-year extensions for its windshield-mounted camera, the news release shows.

“This ruling marks an important step in the continuation of the commercial vehicle industry’s highway safety efforts by ensuring the development of these technologies can continue without fleets and drivers having to worry about violating windshield clearance rules,” Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs for Bendix, said in the news release. “This decision paves the way for continued seamless integration of even more autonomous technologies into an overall safety plan.”

While the equipment can be mounted on the windshield, they must still remain outside of the driver’s sight lines to the road, highway signs and signals.

The Wingman Fusion and AutoVue technologies are effective in most weather conditions where lane markings are visible.

In its final rule, FMCSA found the devices “have been proven to improve safety and vehicle operations.” The federal agency also noted since the first temporary exemption was granted in 2009, it has not learned of any crashes attributed to the location of the devices within the area swept by the windshield wipers.