busnews.com.au May 2018 ABC^27Above, (L-R):
The more
luxurious
cockpit from the
TopClass 50 0;
For business
trips on the road;
USB and power
ports - essential!;
Setra’s dark
front panel and
silver lettering
originates from
the TopClass 500;
Top deck – classy.reduction of several thousand litres
of diesel per year, depending on
mileage covered, it’s stated.
And in addition to being the
world’s first bus to be fitted with
an emergency brake system
with obstacle and pedestrian
recognition – and sideguard assist
- it has a high-performance media
router on board to allow fast Wi-Fi
and offline use of media services.
The latter will become increasingly
crucial on any bus transport in
future, if not at least in cities.
A SAFER BET
Whether country driving or
inner-city bustle, buses and
coaches have an even greater
responsibility for safety given the
amount of passengers on board
and pedestrians and cyclists that
might be harder to ‘see’ around the
vehicle, from a driver’s perspective.
To monitor distance from
vehicles ahead and warn of
possible impending collision
(using multi-mode radar systems
that cover a range of up to 250m),
Active Brake Assist 4 now also
recognises pedestrians moving up
to 80 metres in front of the vehicle,
in almost all traffic situations. If
the predetermined distance is
dangerously underrun and an
accident is unavoidable with the
driving system unchanged, the
system alerts the driver.
If the driver does not react, the
system independently triggers
full braking, says Daimler. For
pedestrians that’s massive!
Gustav Tuschen, head of
development at Daimler Buses,
says: “Active Brake Assist 4 with
pedestrian recognition marks a
milestone in the development of
assistance systems for coaches.”
On the Setra TopClass S 531 DT
with Sideguard Assist, this amazing
technology is said to considerably
increase the safety of unprotected
road users by warning the driver
of moving or stationery objects to
the right of the vehicle (left-hand
drive in Europe). The latter uses
radar sensors to monitor the laneto the right of the coach along
the vehicle’s entire length. It helps
the driver with the blind spot, and
warns of pedestrians, cyclists or
stationary obstacles while turning.
On the highway, it additionally
serves as a lane-changing assistant,
it’s stated.
The magnitude of what this tech
combination means for buses and
coaches should not be understated.
While no technology is foolproof
and the variables in any incident
are often too unpredictable,
whether from an OEM or the
aftermarket such aides would prove
crucial in potentially saving lives or
minimising human injury in future.
Only last June in Sydney’s CBD
did a 30-year-old Uber passenger
die when the vehicle he was
alighting from accelerated away
and he tragically fell into the path
of a bus. Yes, the Uber driver had