105: Safety In Numbers
DAF’s XF105 safety demonstrator incorporates a host of protective features which will prove attractive to the responsible operator. Our regular careful chauffeur, John Henderson travelled to Aberdeen to trial Norscot Truck and Van’s big yellow safe bet. SAFETY is constantly at the top of any conscientious transport operator’s agenda and this essential top priority holds the same value at the European Union’s governing headquarters in Brussels. Chances are that within the next two or three years legislation from this body is likely to mandate safety features such as vehicle stability control, lane departure warning systems and adaptive cruise control. This news has already reached the ears of several truck builders who currently offer these technological enhancements as optional extras. DAF’s driving force dealership group for Grampian, the Highlands & Islands and Tayside regions, Norscot Truck and Van, showcased this XF105 Super Space safety demonstrator on the manufacturer’s official stand at last August’s Truckfest Scotland and whilst chatting there with Tony Pain, DAF’s UK marketing director, an appraisal drive in the north east was kindly arranged for yours truly. The big 105 Dutchman was no great stranger to me as back in November 2006, I’d spent an enjoyable day behind the wheel of a similar XF model on our ‘full Scottish’ Transport News 200 mile test route. It’s always a pleasure to climb back aboard a Super Space Cab and after driving a fair selection of other trucks since, I was again amazed at just how much room there is in this cab. Norscot’s Sam Barrack and his staff had arranged for me to pull their curtainside test trailer, which was loaded with ballast and brought the combination’s GVW up to around the 38 tonne mark. The brief was to spend a couple of hours behind the wheel to try out some of the incorporated safety features and a run to Peterhead and back via the A90 would surely fit that bill. Perfect weather conditions ensued on the day in September, with little or no wind strength and temperatures around a pleasant 18° mark. Before examining the safety features in detail, I’ll walk before I can run and look at the basic specification of this XF prime mover. The 6x2 pusher axle tractor unit was fitted with a Paccar MX375 six cylinder, in-line diesel which produces a healthy 510hp. DAF’s excellent AS Tronic automated gearbox provided the ratios and via 12 different speeds, with top gear being a direct 1:1. A rear axle ratio of 2.80:1 joined the now almost standard suspension set up of front, steel together with rear, air and inside the roomy high datum cab, a brace of top option super air seats were fitted for the driver and passenger. The all round disc air brakes benefit from electronic operation and ABS alongside SMR (drag torque control) offered further reassurances in the stopping department. Leaving Norscot’s premises at Bridge of Don, I drove the combination through the adjacent industrial estate to acclimatise myself before joining the main road for Peterhead at the North Denmore roundabout. As was to be expected the 510hp unit made quick work of acceleration as the rig was well within the 44 tonne limit. Onto the various safety components now and firstly inside the cab DAF offer an air bag and seat belt tensioners which help reduce the level of injury in case of a collision. Side or front view cameras can also be specified and one of these lenses fitted to a CF85 model which I tested relatively recently, proved an absolute godsend in a wide variety of road situations. Xenon headlamps provide a much clearer, wider and deeper light pattern and the 70 watt roof integrated, skylights provide even more candle power on full beam. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) was the first of the ‘big three’ onboard systems to come under the spotlight and without putting myself in a potentially dangerous situation, there was no realistic way to check it! VSC is an electronic active safety system that assists the driver to stay in control during critical manoeuvring, such as strong steering in an unseen tight corner or swerving violently to avoid a sudden obstacle. DAF say VSC significantly reduces the risk of a roll-over that is particularly associated with tankers or trucks with a high centre of gravity. Additionally the risk of jack-knifing is also decreased. VSC works by continuously monitoring the applied steering input against the direction of the vehicle. If a situation arises when they don’t match, this system will automatically lower the engine power and if required actuate the brakes at one or more wheels for short periods of time. Apart from a couple of camber changes at the roundabout at the south end of Ellon’s bypass, the badly rutted sections of the A90 proved to be the most challenging sections encountered for dynamic handling. Even at 40mph these depressions affect accurate lane positioning and not knowing the road too well, without applied concentration it would have been all too easy to be caught unawares, particularly if the surface was wet. That said though this route carries a significant volume of HGV traffic over any given 24 hour period and there is good evidence of maintenance and upgrading between the Granite City and the Blue Toon. DAF’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) was a feature that could be tested safely and the ideal opportunity, in the shape of two heavy loads moving north at around 40mph, appeared immediately after joining the A90. The 510 engine quickly accelerated into top gear and I set the cruise control to 50mph on the dual carriageway and selected the maximum gap following distance, then waited for the system to kick in. Sure enough, just when I felt my truck was bearing down a bit on the slow moving pair, the ACC cut in, engaging the engine brake and shifting down to 11th gear to keep the pre-set safe following distance correct. In rural Scotland ACC would rarely be used, but on the M6 it’s a different matter and this system would surely reduce driver fatigue levels on any busy main route whether here in the UK or particularly on the HGV crowded toll roads of Europe. A radar sensor mounted behind the grill and just above the front registration plate, detects objects ahead of the vehicle and checks their relative speed and distance. A trio of radar beams together with an integrated yaw rate sensor, enable the ACC to differentiate between other traffic in the same lane and those in adjacent lanes. Brake control, engine power, AS Tronic and the retarder systems are all connected to ACC which allows direct intervention by the system into each of those programmes. Although this is a superb system, the driver must remember it’s not an autopilot, despite the fact that a Forward Collision Warning (FWC) is fitted. DAF say that ACC/FCW will not react on stationary objects, such as a traffic jam that is already at a complete stand still when first detected and equally important, opposing traffic. Last but not least, the Lane Departure Warning System was used through the trial and it proved to be a useful, reliable ally. This feature is technically the simplest of the three main novelties trialled, as it’s basically a centrally mounted camera inside the windscreen that monitors the position of the truck in relation to the white lines it can ‘see.’ The LDWS can be switched off via the central dash pod, but correct use of the indicators whilst overtaking or turning will keep the buzzer alarm sound at bay. When activated the loud LDWS warning sound seems to emit from the centre console and is accompanied by a perceived vibration too. I jumped about 2ft when it first blasted off a warning shot at me and thankfully it wasn’t that I’d fallen asleep, rather the section of road at that time was particularly narrow and I was well tucked into the grass verge edge to avoid oncoming heavy vehicles. The secret to driving with all of this active monitoring technology onboard is to apply your best concentration levels and drive like a real professional, then you’ll never activate it! It also goes without saying that we’re all human though and even on my short test run in the north east of Scotland, a bit of electronic driving monitoring was truly welcome and in fact kept me on my toes more than usual as I wanted to drive better and not have the shame of any alarms or brake activations applied on my behalf. There’s absolutely no doubt that all of these safety features fitted on the DAF XF105 make a great truck even better. In the past many operators have promoted the environmental credentials of their fleet and I suspect that buyers of this DAF should and could promote its presence to existing and potential customers alike, as it is a positive statement of purpose about any safety conscious company. It’s interesting to note that forward thinking, proactive contractors like Pollock (Scotrans) Ltd, who are always quick to appraise new technology, have recently taken delivery of eight XF105.510 safety trucks.