IRD showcases TACS safety system
First published at ITS America - June 5, 2019
Michael Wiek of IRDInternational Road Dynamics (IRD) is showcasing its Tyre Anomaly and Classification System (TACS) at the Annual Meeting. TACS is an advanced screening technology that helps agencies identify vehicles with potentially dangerous tyre problems before accidents occur. The system measures the tyre-to-road contact patch and identifies unsafe tyres including flat, missing and mismatched tyres on dual tyre assemblies.
Tyre anomalies can result in vehicle imbalance, reduced manoeuvrability, improper load distribution, reduced braking performance, poor fuel economy, and reduced tyre life. Damaged tyres lead to breakdowns, expensive roadside repairs and increased costs due to freight being delayed. Pavement damage can also result from increased loads on tyres when adjacent tyres are flat or mismatched in size. The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, Illinois DoT and Illinois State Police have integrated TACS into their commercial vehicle e-screening systems. Trucks with identified tyre problems are signalled to report for further inspection and the anomaly verified by a human inspector. These agencies have found TACS to be an effective method of identifying vehicles with tyre problems that are sufficiently serious to place vehicles out of service.
As IRD points out, safety is the primary goal of commercial vehicle inspections, and TACS helps agencies ensure road safety while providing the efficiency of an automated screening system. Agencies seeking to reduce the risk of catastrophic tyre failures will benefit from adopting tyre anomaly screening as part of their commercial vehicle inspection systems.
Booth 636
