Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/625735
28 commercial carrier journal | january 2016 Lighting up the night Modern truck illumination improves safety for both drivers, four-wheelers By Jack RoBeRts I t's hard to name a vehicle system on trucks that isn't undergoing a technological transformation, and lighting systems are no different. While they obviously are fundamental when it comes to safety, research has shown that modern lighting systems also help improve driver performance while reducing fatigue. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are making big inroads in trucking appli- cations thanks to superior illumination patterns and color palates that can be customized to mimic natural daylight. LEDs also have proven to be more robust in harsh trucking applications with proven longer life. No wonder OEMs and fleets alike are starting to spec LEDs in growing numbers. "LEDs moved into automobiles fairly rapidly, but they've seen slower adoption rates in trucking," says Eric Thorstensen, director of business de- velopment for Grote Industries. Fleets have spec'd LEDs mostly on trailers so far, he says. "We're starting to see the lighting higher up on power units switch to LEDs, with a few head- lamps starting to show up." Cheaper and safer Initially, the higher price of LEDs im- peded adoption, but Brett Johnson, vice president of sales for Optronics, says technological advances have resulted in lower costs. "Buyers have also realized that the in- creased lifespan of LED lights helps them save money on both light and mainte- nance costs," he says. "Since LED lights may last 50 times longer than incandes- cent lamps, the savings is significant." LEDs also have attracted the atten- tion of safety-focused fleets wanting to improve their Compliance Safety Ac- countability scores, says Johnson, who notes that three of the top 10 out-of- service violations are related to lighting. "Longer-lasting lights mean fewer violations and increased safety," he says. Also contributing to improved safety is the faster reaction time offered by solid-state LEDs versus filament bulbs. "LEDs light an area more quickly, reducing the stopping distance required and allowing other drivers more time to react," Johnson says. Another factor boosting LEDs is their low amp draw; less demand frees up the vehicle's electrical system to direct power elsewhere. "Eliminating downtime based on burned-out bulbs can more than make up for their higher purchase price," Thor- stensen says. Fleets that track downtime have found that filament bulbs typically last about 1,500 hours. "They have to be changed out about every year and a half," he says. By comparison, most LED bulbs have a 10-year service life. Unlike their high-intensity discharge and halogen predecessors, LED lights have no moving parts, making them more resistant to road shock and vibra- tion. "That's the key to their longer life," Thorstensen says. LEDs also emit a light pattern much closer to sunlight than older lighting systems can produce. "This provides improved safety and fatigue factors for drivers," he says. LEDs also offer higher contrast in dim lighting. "It gives drivers a much clearer picture of their environment in the dark." Federal standards that govern LED light output currently are more strin- gent than those for incandescent lamps, but Johnson thinks this will change soon. Early LED lamps were produced using many diodes in a tight array, and they struggled to match the output of incandescents. Today's LED technology allows the production of much brighter lamps with fewer LEDs without alter- ing the lamp's footprint. "Product development has been fo- cused on designs using LED technology for many years," Johnson says. "That's why we think incandescent lamps that break easily and hog energy are on their way out and that LEDs will be the stan- dard lighting solution for the trucking industry." in focus: LED Lighting Grote's LED 6-inch oval and 4-inch round Stop/Tail/Turn lamps are equipped with an integral LED built-in backup lamp designed to combine dual functions with longer-life LED technology.