ATLANTA, Ga. (Nov. 21, 2008) - Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems provided fleet managers and government officials with an opportunity to experience the latest collision-safety technology for commercial trucks, buses, and trailers at a demonstration ride ‘n drive event here at a closed course near Turner Field in Atlanta.

The program, part of a series of six annual demonstrations Meritor WABCO is holding throughout the United States, attracted more than 90 fleets and special guests.  

“For most participants, this is their first experience with active safety systems,” said Jon Morrison, president of Meritor WABCO. “The fleets want to see how intuitive these products are to use, and whether they will be effective at improving safety and security.”

Guests in Atlanta included John H. Hill, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA’s goal is to reduce the number and severity of crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Recent research focuses on the role that drivers play in collisions; according the FMCSA, driver action or inaction is the “critical reason” for 87 percent of crashes where the cause was attributed to the commercial vehicle.

Hill has publicly voiced his support for advanced vehicle control technologies. 

Meritor WABCO is a leader in the development of a wide range of commercial vehicle controls, including stability controls systems for trucks and trailers, and OnGuard, designed to detect objects in the vehicle’s path and manage the distance between them. Both systems can automatically intervene to slow the vehicle to reduce the likelihood of a rear-end collision or loss of stability. This allows the driver time to maintain control and apply additional braking force as needed.

Stability control and the OnGuard collision safety systems are building blocks in Meritor WABCO’s “Pyramid of Safety.” They are extensions of the ABS electronic control unit and use software and sensors to coordinate object detection, braking, and throttle adjustment, minimizing the need for additional hardware. 

Over 55,000 stability control units are in use by North American motor carriers and over 1,000 OnGuard systems are operational today.

“The driver is the most important factor in the safety equation,” said Alan Korn, director of engineering at Meritor WABCO. “At that split-second when a dangerous situation starts to arise, the system can give the driver the time he needs to react. These demonstrations give people the chance to see for themselves what that experience is like.“

Meritor WABCO¹ is a joint venture of ArvinMeritor, (NYSE:ARM) and the WABCO Automotive Control Systems, Inc,. (NYSE:WBC).

WABCO Vehicle Control Systems is one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission automation systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles. Customers include the world’s leading commercial truck, trailer, and bus manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,700 people in 31 countries worldwide. In 2007, WABCO’s total sales were $2.4 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol WBC. Website: www.wabco-auto.com

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry.  The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. Headquartered in Troy, Mich., ArvinMeritor employs approximately 18,000 people in 24 countries.  ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM.  For more information, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/. 

¹ Meritor WABCO products are available in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

CONTACT:
D. Mike Pennington
(248) 435-1933
david.pennington@arvinmeritor.com