Driver Assistance Systems in Commercial Vehicles

Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine transport logistics without driver assistance systems for commercial vehicles. Due to the steadily increasing global transport capacity coupled with an increase in traffic density and “exceptional traffic situations” such as traffic jams and road construction sites, they are the base of increasing road safety and the economic efficiency of transportation. This chapter deals with the development of driver assistance systems, from the motivation itself to the most important steps in their development, from their beginnings to the present day. Along the way, the differences compared with the systems in passenger cars are illustrated and the influence of global legislation discussed. The focus will be on explaining the individual systems and the use of suitable testing and validation procedures in the development phase. The outlook on future technologies that are currently in development for driver assistance systems and their possible new functions also forms the transition to the chapter entitled “Future Developments and Fully Automated Driving”.