LED trailer brake lights could avoid accidents: ATA

Installing LED trailer brake lights could mean the difference between a safe stop and a rear-end accident, says the Australian Trucking Association.

The ATA’s new Technical Advisory Procedure on heavy vehicle electrical wiring has just been released, which includes guidance on trailer lighting system requirements.

“LED lighting has been available for heavy-vehicle use for some time. One of the benefits of these lights is that they light up faster than traditional incandescent bulbs,” said Christopher Melham, chief executive of ATA.

“At 100 km/h, an LED brake light will come on 4.4 m earlier than a comparable incandescent light. This can easily be the difference between a rear-end crash and a near miss.

“But in order to achieve this safety gain, heavy-vehicle wiring needs to be able to support these products.”

The new procedure provides guidance for trucking operators and workshops to ensure trucks are getting the most out of their electrical system. It includes technical advice covering heavy-vehicle wiring, lighting, voltage levels, connectors, alternators, batteries and the towing vehicle power source.

“As truck electrical systems continue to increase in complexity, there have been a worrying number of incidents where worn or incorrect electrical components have caused truck fires,” said Melham.

“Trucks and trailers often experience harsh conditions as they travel across Australia. We’ve listed the key areas that workshops and operators should check to make sure the truck electrical system stays safe and reliable throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.”

This is the latest in the ATA’s series of technical advisory procedures developed by the ATA’s Industry Technical Council that provide best practice guidance for trucking operators, maintainers and suppliers about key technical issues. The procedures are available for free from the ATA’s online resource library.