FAQ
Water
What is Demineralised Water?
Discover how demineralised water is made and what it’s used for…
Demineralised water is specially purified water that has had most or all of its mineral and salt ions removed, such as Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate and Bicarbonate. It is also known as Deionised water, DI or Demin water.
Demineralised water and deionised water are generally considered distinct from distilled water, which is purified in a still ie. by boiling and re-condensing, a process which also removes salt ions.
The major differences are that demineralised water is usually freer of mineral ions, depending on the number of processes used to make it, and distilled water may have less organic contaminants, as deionisation does not remove uncharged molecules such as viruses or bacteria. However, deionisation also leaves behind less ‘scale’ than distillation, and so has a cleaner production.
How Is It Made?
There are two main ways of producing demineralised water.
- A Demineralisation Plant that uses Ion-exchange Resins. These specially manufactured resins can be purafine resins, clear gel resins, or gel polystyrene resins. The cation exchange resins exchange the positive ions (eg. Calcium) for hydrogen ions, and the anion resins exchange negative ions (eg. Chlorine) for hydroxide ions. The final water consists primarily of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, which is the chemical composition of pure water.
- Electro-Deionisation Plants also use Ion-exchange Resins but pass an electric current through the resins to keep the resin regenerated ie. The mineral ions migrate away from the resin toward an anode or a cathode.
Often, several stages of demineralisation occur to obtain the required quality of the final product, and some of these stages may also include reverse osmosis (RO) systems, where water is pressurised and forced through semi-permeable membranes which retain the mineral ions and other impurities, as well as distillation and filtration.
What Is Demineralised Water Used For?
Demineralised water is used for industrial and scientific purposes. Some of the major and common uses are:
- laboratory applications and testing eg.autoclaves
- wash water for computer chip manufacture, and other microelectronics
- automotive uses eg. lead-acid batteries and cooling systems
- high pressure boiler feed
- laser cutting
- steam irons and steam raising applications
- pharmaceutical manufacturing
- cosmetics (‘aqua’ often refers to DI water)
- aquariums
- fire extinguishers
Demineralised water is NOT generally used for drinking water, as it is the minerals in potable water that provide the health benefits and taste. It also tends to remove minerals from food and electrolytes from the body, so it is not usually recommended for drinking or cooking.
Learn About Demineralised Water in 1 Min
Common Uses & A Warning!
Vintage Road Haulage
We supply and transport demineralised water all over Perth and Western Australia. For bulk orders and inquiries please contact us.
What is Potable Water?
Learn about potable water, what it’s used for and guidelines for cartage…
Put simply, potable water is drinking water. Potable water has to be safe enough to be consumed by humans with a minimal risk of short-term or long-term harm. Typical uses of potable water are drinking, cooking, washing, toilet flushing and farm irrigation.
Water Quality Standards
Most naturally-occurring water requires quality management to make it potable and safe for public consumption. In Australia, the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines provide a framework for the management of drinking water supplies appropriate for local conditions. All drinking water service providers in WA must comply with these Guidelines.
Typical Contaminants
Contaminants of water that make it non-potable fall into two categories:
- Physical or chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, organic compounds and suspended solids such as plant matter or animal waste. These can be naturally-occurring or pollutants.
- Microbiological contaminants such as bacteria (the most common being E.coli), viruses and parasites.
Testing and Treatment
All potable water for public consumption must be monitored and tested prior to consumption to ensure the above contaminants remain within accepted parameters. This usually requires some form of treatment before it can be supplied. The most common treatments are:
- Chlorination, to deal with microbiological and some physical contaminants
- Filtering, to deal with physical and chemical contaminants
Licensed Water Suppliers
In Australia the Economic Regulation Authority issues licenses to supply potable water (and other water). Licensed entities can be State Water Authorities, Local Councils or private businesses.
Remote Area Supply and Cartage
An issue in West Australia is the supply of potable water to consumers ‘off the mains’ – whether a farm or business not connected to the main water supply, or a remote mine-site or community. Often these consumers source their own water eg. from rainwater tanks, dams or bores, in which case they must still follow the standard guidelines and regulations.
In other cases, potable water is transported by truck and tanker.
The WA Health Department publishes Guidelines on the Bulk Cartage of Drinking Water that covers water sourcing, water quality monitoring and treatment, hygienic operation and maintenance of cartage equipment, and the responsibilities of both the commercial supplier and the consumer.
Vintage Road Haulage
Vintage Road Haulage guarantees that it draws potable water from licensed suppliers and conforms in detail to the Guidelines on the Bulk Cartage of Drinking Water.
For bulk supply and cartage of potable water around Perth and WA, please contact us.
What is Raw Water?
Learn what raw water is, common contaminants and how it is used…
Raw water is water which has come straight from the environment and has not been treated or purified in any way. This includes rainwater and water from streams, rivers and lakes.
Raw water is also known as natural water because it has had not been subjected to any treatment to ready it suitable for human consumption, nor have any minerals, ions, particles or living organisms been removed.
Raw water can be turned into safe drinking water at water treatment plants using a variety of methods including filtration, chemical treatment and desalination.
Where Is Raw Water Found?
Raw water can be found above ground in places such as in lakes and ponds or in streams, rivers or creeks, as well as in underground sources including wells, caves or underground streams.
What Are The Common Contaminants In Raw Water?
Depending on its source of origin, raw water can potentially contain multiple contaminants or impurities in varying quantities, due to the contact it has with the earth and the atmosphere. These can be in the form of dissolved or suspended gases and organic or mineral matter.
Raw water will usually contain humic acid, a complex acid created when plants decompose. This is one of the main ways water becomes discoloured.
Minerals such as calcium and magnesium carbonates are also commonly found in raw water. These make the water hard, one of the main causes of metal corrosion, deposits of lime scale and the inability to make lather with soap suds.
Raw water can also contain microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, including E coli. Because raw water has not been treated, it is considered unsafe for human consumption, unless it has been stringently tested.
Raw water can also contain salt, dissolved oxygen molecules and particles of clay and silt.
What Is Raw Water Used For?
Raw water can be used in farming, construction or cleaning purposes. Famers use it for watering their crops or giving it to stock to drink. It is often stored on farms in man-made lakes or reservoirs and can be stored for long periods of time.
It is also used in construction industries, such as making cement or for damping down unsealed roads to prevent dust rising.
Raw water can also be used for flushing toilets and washing cars, as well as any other purpose that does not require it to be consumed by humans.
Vintage Road Haulage
For supply and transport of raw water all over Perth and Western Australia, please contact us.
What is Distilled Water?
Find out how distilled water is created and what it’s used for…
Distilled water is water which has undergone a purification process to remove any contaminants and natural minerals, through a process called distillation. It has been around for thousands of years and its first recorded use was around 200AD by Alexander of Aphrodisias who distilled sea water to drink.
A significant disadvantage of producing distilled water is that it is very costly because of the large amounts of electricity or fuel required for the distillation process.
How Is Distilled Water Made?
Distillation is a process which involves heating water to boiling point, then collecting the produced steam in another container and condensing it back into water.
Various minerals and impurities have a lower boiling point than water. This means than by the time the water has boiled at 100°C and turned into steam, the minerals and impurities have already reached their lower boiling point and subsequently evaporated, as they are not part of the steam catchment process. As the steam from the water cools down, it turns back into water and what is collected is pure distilled water.
Before World War 2, it took one gallon of fuel to make one gallon of distilled drinking water. This was very costly and time consuming, especially for ships at sea. A compression still called the Kleinschmidt Still was created and it could turn 175 gallons of sea water into distilled water using only one gallon of fuel.
The distillation technology has now moved onto the use of flash-type evaporators which only heat the sea water to 70-80°C and evaporate the water in a vacuum for condensing. Solar distillers are also now available for distilling purposes.
What Is Raw Water Used For?
Raw water can be used in farming, construction or cleaning purposes. Famers use it for watering their crops or giving it to stock to drink. It is often stored on farms in man-made lakes or reservoirs and can be stored for long periods of time.
It is also used in construction industries, such as making cement or for damping down unsealed roads to prevent dust rising.
Raw water can also be used for flushing toilets and washing cars, as well as any other purpose that does not require it to be consumed by humans.
Vintage Road Haulage
For supply and transport of raw water all over Perth and Western Australia, please contact us.
Can You Drink Distilled Water or Demineralised Water?
Important information for your health…
Nowadays we are lucky enough to have a range of different waters readily available for a variety of uses including drinking and industrial applications.
Hazardous To Your Health
However, did you know that drinking either distilled or demineralised water on a regular basis over long periods is hazardous to your health?
Both types of water are created using different methods but the results are fairly similar (but not the same) in that the natural occurring minerals in the source water are removed. In addition, distilled water actively absorbs carbon dioxide when in contact with the air making it quite acidic.
Some health practitioners do advocate drinking distilled water as part of a controlled body detoxification process but the intake only lasts about a week or so. No more! Only do this with a qualified health professional.
So the longer you consume distilled or demineralised water the more chance you have of developing mineral difficiencies and a higher body acidity.
Learn more about Distilled and Demineralised Water
You can read about both types of water here – distilled water and demineralised water – to find out how they are different, production processes and what their proper uses are.
It’s also said that some soft drink producers use distilled water in their drinks which is another reason to stop drinking them on a regular basis.
Read a detailed overview of distilled water and health (will open in new window). Dr Mercola is an American doctor who publishes his and his colleague’s opinions on a variety of issues
Vintage Road Haulage
We supply and deliver demineralised water in bulk for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes. For more details please contact us.
What Different Types of Water are There?
There are many varieties of water and we cover the main ones here…
It can be confusing when you hear about the various kinds of water available so we decided to provide a resource page to help create a clearer understanding of one of Earth’s most precious resources. We supply and transport three types of water in bulk for various industries around Western Australia. These are demineralised, potable and raw water.
Artesian Water
Artesian Water is water that originates from underground, but unlike a flowing spring, the water is trapped underground between layers of rock and confined under positive pressure. This type of water is mostly obtained by using a well or a pipe which goes directly down to the source. Because artesian water flows directly through the pipe and not through the soil and rock layers like Spring Water, it does not gather any contaminants on its journey.
Deminineralised Water
Vintage Road Haulage supplies and transports a lot of this type of water. Demineralised water, also known as deionised water, is specially purified water that has had most or all of its mineral and salt ions removed, such as… read full overview.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is water which has undergone a purification process to remove any contaminants and natural minerals, through a process called distillation. This is a process which involves… read full overview.
Mineral Water
Mineral Water is water that originates from a spring, yet contains high levels of dissolved minerals. These minerals may be naturally present in or artificially added to the water in order to provide health benefits to people. Nowadays mineral water is usually bottled and transported around the world as most people don’t have the time to visit the source and collect the water themselves. Mineral water may also be carbonated, either by natural or artificial methods.
Potable Water
Vintage Road Haulage supplies and transports a lot of this type of water. Put simply, potable water is drinking water. Potable water has to be safe enough to be consumed by humans with a minimal risk of short-term or long-term harm. Typical uses include… read full overview.
Purified Water
Purified Water can come from any source, but has been mechanically filtered or cleaned to be safe to drink. Therefore purified water does not have any contaminants or chemicals in it. Purified water can be achieved through deionization, reverse osmosis, distillation or carbon filtration. The advantages of purified water are that harmful chemicals have been removed, but the disadvantages are that minerals which are beneficial use to humans have also been taken out.
Raw Water
Vintage Road Haulage supplies and transports a lot of this type of water. Raw water is water which has come straight from the environment and has not been treated or purified in any way. This includes… read full overview.
Sparkling Water
Sparkling Water, also known as carbonated water, is water which contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas (CO2). When CO2 is dissolved under pressure into water, a process which is called carbonation, the water becomes effervescent or bubbly. Carbonation may be naturally occurring, such as from the German mineral spring Selters, or it may have occurred artificially, such as in carbonated soft drinks or sodas.
Spring Water
Spring Water is water that originates from an underground spring. A spring is the point where the water flows out from under the ground and then continues to flow over the land to form streams and rivers. Spring water may or may not have been treated and purified. Much of the bottled water available today is labelled as spring water, sometimes claiming that the spring produces water which is of benefit to human health. However contaminates such as coliform, arsenic and phthalates have been found in tests carried out on some spring water so do your research and choose trusted suppliers.
Vintage Road Haulage
For bulk supply and cartage of demineralised, potable or raw water, please contact us.
What Days Can I Water My Garden in Perth?
Information for scheme water users and domestic garden bores…
Sprinkler restrictions apply in the Perth and Mandurah areas from 1 September to 31 May each year. Also, in winter, there is a total sprinkler ban in force from 1 June – 31 August.
The sprinkler roster for scheme water users (who draw water from the mains via taps) is 2 days a week. The current domestic bore water sprinkler roster is 3 days a week (and not unlimited use as some people believe).
What Days Can I Water?
The last digit in your house or lot number determines the days of the week that you can use your sprinklers or reticulation.
The following graph shows the last digit of your house/lot number on the left with watering days in the middle and the extra day for domestic bore users on the right.
Please remember that you can only use your sprinklers once on your allotted days, either before 9am or after 6pm.
To see the source of this information, visit the WA Government Department of Water website.
Vintage Road Haulage
We are Western Australia’s bulk water cartage specialists, supplying demineralised, potable and raw water for a variety of industrial, mining, farming and pharmaceutical purposes. For more details please contact us.
How To Save Water At Home?
Easy Tips To Help You and Your Family To Save Water At Home
Reducing water usage in our homes is essential nowadays. Water is a valuable resource and conserving it should be a high priority in all households. There are multiple ways that a household can implement water saving activities such as:
Collecting And Reusing Greywater & Rainwater
It is easy and works out to be cost effective to collect both rain and greywater at your home. Rainwater can be collected simply by putting buckets or tarps outside when its raining, through to installing a rainwater collection tank which is connected to your home’s guttering.
Greywater is water that has already been used around the home, such as from a bath, shower or the washing machine and can be used instead of drinking water to water plants in your garden.
Simple ways to collect this is to redirect your washing machine hose into a bucket, scoop up your bath water in a bucket or use a bucket to collect your shower water while it is heating up before you get into the shower. These are effective but require ongoing effort which may not be possible for busy families, the elderly or the disabled.
Easier and more long term greywater solutions involve getting a licensed plumber to install a dedicated greywater treatment system or greywater diversion system which would handle all your needs automatically.
Use Water Efficient Appliances
When purchasing new appliances, be sure to pay attention to the WELS label. The National Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards scheme gives each water using appliance a star rating based upon the amount of water it uses. The more stars, the more water efficient the appliance is.
In the shower you could consider replacing your shower head with a more modern one which uses less water, but delivers a better shower experience.
Fix Leaking Taps
Leaking taps can be easily fixed by replacing a washer. This should be done immediately upon noticing a dripping tap as they can waste 20-300 litres of water per day!
If your tap still leaks after you have changed the washer or you have a bigger type of water leak, then it is more cost efficient to get a plumber in to fix the problem than to continue to pay extra for the water being wasted by the leak.
Reduce Water Usage
Cutting down the time you use water for in your home for can lead to significant savings both in water usage and money spent on your water bill.
Using a timer in the shower, rinsing dishes in a sink filled with water rather than under the tap and using a bucket to wash your car rather than a running hose are all easy ways to save water at home. You could also try using waterless car washing products or take your car to a car wash which recycles its water.
And don’t forget that Perth has set watering days for gardens which should be followed as a way to save water.
If you are wondering, find out the current levels of Perth dams.
Vintage Road Haulage
Specialist bulk water supply and transport company serving Perth and regional WA since 1994. Get in contact here.
How Much Water in Perth Dams?
Current water levels and what the future may hold for Perth water…
Perth’s water supply generally comes from the following eleven dams with Serpentine Dam having the largest capacity:
- Canning
- Churchman Brook
- Mundaring
- North Dandalup
- Samson Brook
- Serpentine
- Pipehead
- South Dandalup
- Stirling
- Victoria
- Wungong
To find out up-to-date information about current water levels and a map of all these dams, visit the Bureau of Meteorology’s Perth water storage (will open in new window).
The Future Of Dams As Primary Water Supply
Perth’s dams are widely recognised as being the main water source for the area. But the Water Corporation says this is slated to change as we become less able to rely on them in the future due to declining rainfall and stream flows . As a result, we need to set our sights on the role of dams changing to become more like water storage reservoirs.
As storage reservoirs, dams are the perfect solution to provide a place to keep deep groundwater and water from desalination plants. This allows the water to be kept in one place until it is needed in times of high demand and ensures that our useable water supply isn’t weather dependent.
Some Perth and southern dams have already been interconnected with pipelines allowing water to be transported more freely. This provides more areas with the security of having a ready water supply that can be accessed from more than one source. The same strategy is in place with the Goldfields and some agricultural areas being supplied water through the CY O’Connor Pipeline. Vintage Road Haulage is also a licensed water supplier.
What About Stormwater?
Stormwater is essentially water that has runoff from roads, roofs and driveways during a rainstorm. It is not used for drinking, but is considered an important part of the urban water cycle as an alternative supply for non-drinking uses.
Stormwater can be used on three ways in an urban environment. These are:
- Locally recharged – this is water that is reabsorbed into the area it fell, such as in a porous driveway or in a soak hole
- Collected off seal surfaces or roofs – this water makes it’s way from the clean collection areas to be stored in a tank or aquifer for reuse
- Drain collection – this is water collected for flood protection purposes and is either released into the environment or reused for purposes such as garden irrigation
Learn about the different kinds of water.
Vintage Road Haulage
We specialise in supplying and delivering water in bulk. If you need demineralised water, potable water or raw water, ranging from small containers up to 50,000 litre road train lots, please contact us.
Transport
Safety
Systems & Fuel
Is CNG A Viable Fuel Source?
A look at this increasingly popular fuel source
CNG, or compressed natural gas, is a form of natural gas used to fuel road vehicles of all types.
The gas itself is precisely the same natural gas that is used globally for heating, cooking, and energy production. It consists of 90% methane, with the remainder composed of a mixture of other elements, such as butane and nitrogen.
CNG aims to bring all of the benefits of natural gas to road transport vehicles. In order to do so efficiently the natural gas is compressed. It is reduced to less than one hundredth of its natural volume to allow it to be stored and distributed practically.
It can be used in vehicles with purpose-built CNG engines and engines constructed for use with other fuel types can easily be converted to run on it.
Environmental Benefits of CNG
It has less impact on the environment than petrol, diesel or LPG (liquid petroleum gas).
When used by vehicles, CNG produces lower levels of emissions than traditional vehicle fuels. When processed, it produces mostly water and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide emissions produced by CNG vehicles are up to 20-25% lower than those of oil-based fuel vehicles.
CNG also produces significantly lower emission of other harmful chemicals, like nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. In the case of leakage, it naturally dissipates into the air, removing the danger of environmental damage caused by toxic oil-based fuel spills. It is a non-toxic substance, producing no harmful effects upon exposure.
Practical Benefits
Practically, CNG offers many benefits. It is a more efficiently burning fuel, making it cost effective for both individuals and companies.
Refuelling takes about the same time as for other fuel types, and is also a more efficient and cleaner process. For nations such as the Australia and the US that have a local supply of natural gas, CNG can offer a consistently reliable fuel supply at stable prices.
CNG is independent of international oil trade, and so is unaffected by the variations in prices and supply that are associated with this turbulent market.
Many of these benefits are making CNG particularly attractive to bus and haulage companies for use in their transport fleets.
Is CNG Safe?
It’s safety has been demonstrated both in testing and in its proven track record of international use. The characteristics of natural gas make it naturally less combustible than petrol or diesel. The fact that it dissipates means that it is removed from the area of the leak, should one occur.
It also takes a significantly higher temperature to ignite CNG than other fuels; it ignites at 600 degrees Celsius, whereas petrol only requires a temperature of 315 degrees for ignition.
CNG storage containers have been designed to the highest safety standards, and have been show in testing to withstand extreme levels of impact.
You may also find this interesting… bio-crude oil and fuel emission reduction
Vintage Road Haulage
Specialist bulk water transport and trucking company operating around Perth & regional WA. Contact us here.
What Are Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS)?
Vehicle communication systems of the very near future…
Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) are vehicle related communication networks that are being rapidly developed on an international level. In relation to the public, the most often discussed applications of C-ITS relate to cars and other road traffic, but it also encompasses other forms of transportation, including water, rail and air.
The different lines of communication that are considered part of C-ITS are any combination of the various bodies involved, that is, vehicles, infrastructure, and individuals using personal devices, potentially including pedestrians and cyclists. So, for example, C-ITS can be used to facilitate communication between vehicles, between vehicles and infrastructure, and between individuals and vehicles etc.
In relation to road traffic, this communication can travel through a number of different systems: Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), which provide communication between vehicles and a particular location or structure, like a toll plaza; cellular networks; Wifi and Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN); radio; and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), like GPS.
Benefits of C-ITS
It’s use potentially presents a wide range of benefits, some contributing to improved road transport convenience, others to efficiency and safety.
The most commonly provided examples of how C-ITS can improve road transport safety involve vehicle to vehicle communication of an impending collision. For example, drivers coming to an intersection, whose cars are not visible to each other, will be warned if their direction and speed is likely to result in an accident. An Australian report estimates that up to 35 percent of serious crashes could be prevented with the full integration of C-ITS.
C-ITS will be able to communicate information gathered by vehicles and infrastructure regarding road and weather conditions, unexpected events like spillages or road closures, and other relevant information. In addition to improving safety levels, it also aims to increase road transport efficiency and reduce congestion by sharing of this type of information.
C-ITS in Australia
The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) is currently researching and planning for the introduction of C-ITS in Australia. Trials are being performed nationally in order to evaluate the precise nature of the benefits to assist in the planning process and to help raise public awareness of the C-ITS and its potential benefits.
The results of trials being performed elsewhere in the world will also contribute to the Australian research. Internationally, trials are well established and continuing across the US, Europe and Asia.
Issues
In addition to its many benefits, the Australian National Transport Commission (NTC) has identified several key issues that the introduction of C-ITS will raise.
These issues include legal questions regarding liability – who will be responsible for crashes that do occur while C-ITS are in use? – and driver distraction problems.
Another complex problem that must be addressed with the introduction of C-ITS is the issue of privacy – who will be responsible for the vast amount of information gathered about individuals, companies and their vehicles, and how will this information be used?
Vintage Road Haulage
We are a specialist truck company operating around Perth & regional WA. Get in contact here.
What is ABS?
Learn about the development and use of the Anti-Lock Braking System…
ABS stands for Anti-lock Braking System, a vehicle safety system which ensures the wheels of the vehicle stay in contact with the road when the driver brakes, which prevents wheel locking and uncontrolled skidding.
It allows the driver to stop within the shortest possible distance, but remain in control of the vehicle by steering and prevention against out of control spinning.
Development of ABS Brakes
ABS was created and first used in 1929 for use on aircrafts. Then in 1958 it was seen as being beneficial for use on motorcycles. Tests were carried out which showed anti-lock brakes could reduce the stopping distance and amount of skid, yet ABS was not installed at that time. Some cars had anti-lock systems installed in the 1960’s but they were too costly and unreliable to be a standard feature.
However from the mid 1970’s ABS became more widely used and recognised as a viable safety device. Electronic and computerised systems were then developed and these can be seen in modern cars and motorcycles today.
4 Main Components Of The Anti-Lock Braking System
There are four main components – speed sensors, pump, valve and a controller.
- Speed Sensors – provides information about when the wheel is going to lock up via sensors found in the differential or wheel.
- Pump – raises the pressure in the brake line after the valve has reduced it.
- Valve – works in 3 positions to open, block or release pressure from the brake line and master cylinder.
- Controller – a computer which watches the speed sensors and controls the valves.
How To Use ABS Brakes
When driving a car or truck with ABS, you should never pump the brakes. Instead, just press the brake pedal firmly down and hold it so as to allow the system to work.
Often in slippery conditions, drivers of vehicles without ABS installed will pump their brakes to make their wheels unlock so the vehicle stays straight. However when using this technique in an ABS fitted vehicle, the wheels will not lock meaning that the pumping will just increase your stopping distance.
Instead to stop in an emergency in a vehicle with ABS, apply the brake pedal and hold it firmly. The pedal may pulse or shudder violently, but this is normal when it is working, so do not take your foot off the brake.
Effectiveness of ABS
Current research has shown that cars with ABS are less likely to be involved in a multi-car accident, but are more likely to be involved in a run-off-road accident like leaving the road on a bend. Speculators say this is due to poor driver knowledge about how ABS works, meaning drivers take their foot off the brake when they feel pulsing or they pump the brakes. Also, ABS brakes have been found to be more effective on hard surfaces such as bitumen and concrete rather than gravel, sand and snow.
Read about brake law changes for new trucks in Australia.
Vintage Road Haulage
For bulk water cartage and specialist transport needs in Perth and WA, please contact us.
What is ESC?
Short for Electronic Stability Control…
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a computerised technology which helps increase the stability of a vehicle by reducing its loss of traction. It is an automatic feature, meaning it is able to detect when the driver has lost some steering control and automatically applies the brakes to assist the driver with their steering. While it does not help a vehicle to corner, it can help prevent accidents by minimising the driver’s loss of control.
Research has shown that vehicles with ESC fitted are considerably less likely to be involved in single vehicle accidents. In Australia, single car crashes can be reduced by 25% and single 4WD crashes by 51% if the vehicle had ESC installed. Drivers with ESC installed in their cars are 28% less likely to be injured in single car crashes, while drivers involved in single 4WD crashes are 66% less likely to be injured if ESC was installed in their 4WD.
How does ESC work?
It uses sensors to detect when the vehicle is moving in a different direction to which the driver is steering. The brakes are then applied to the individual wheels where the oversteer or understeer is occurring, helping to prevent an accident caused by the drivers loss of control.
It is especially effective in situations where a vehicle has made an emergency swerve, improving traction on icy or slippery roads after rain or even on gravel or unmade roads.
What does ESC do to prevent oversteer and understeer?
When a vehicle is oversteering, the front part of the vehicle tries to move outside of the curve it is going in. The ESC brakes the inside rear wheel to prevent the vehicle skidding. When a vehicle is understeering, the rear part of the vehicle moves outwards in a fishtail spin. The ESC brakes the outside front wheel to prevent skidding in this case.
Is it known by any other names?
Yes, depending on the area or country you live in, as well as the country where your vehicle is manufactured in, it may also be known as:
- Electronic stability program
- Dynamic stability control
- Vehicle dynamic control
- Vehicle stability control or
- Electronic stabilisation program
Is ESC the same as ABS and Traction Control?
No, ABS and traction control are some of the components that make up the ESC program on a vehicle. ABS and traction control can only work in the direction the vehicle is traveling in, while ESC will also work in sideways movements or anywhere there is instability from the vehicle movements. Read more about ABS and brake rules for trucks.
Vintage Road Haulage
Specialist Perth truck company since 1994. Get in contact here.
