The New Standard passes strictest testing standards

Vehicle safety engineering comes in two flavors: active safety, which focuses on accident avoidance, and passive safety, which focuses on the safety of vehicle occupants during an accident. While the new Mack Pioneer™ contains numerous active safety features, it also includes many groundbreaking passive safety features that makes it the safest truck Mack has ever made.

Mack's approach to passive safety includes focusing on the structure of the cab and the chassis and other items like safety belts, bunk restraints and multiple airbags.

It starts with the cab and chassis

The Mack Pioneer's cab is fully welded high-strength steel for both long-term durability and performance in an impact. It passes the strictest cab impact test in the world, which uses massive pendulum weights to smash into the front, side and rear of the cab to make sure the cab retains its integrity and provides the survivable space for occupants even in the most severe accidents.

The Pioneer's chassis is designed so that the engine and transmission will break away underneath the cab in a frontal collision, leaving a survivable space for driver and passenger. The design also helps prevent the cab firewall and floor from being crushed to prevent leg injuries in a crash.

Supplemental restraints, air bags and roll-over support

Another first for Mack with the Pioneer is the introduction of two supplemental restraint systems. The first is a frontal airbag located in the center of the steering wheel. It is designed to protect the driver from serious injuries from contact with the steering wheel, steering column, dash and windshield during crashes.

The second is an integrated curtain airbag located above the driver and passenger doors. In the event of a rollover accident, these airbags will protect truck occupants from contacting the side glass, door and the cab, which protects their head, shoulders and arms.

Another new safety feature is frontal collision and roll-over support, which is designed to keep truck occupants safe after an accident. When the front or side curtain airbag deploys, the system shuts down the engine, unlocks the doors, turns on the interior lights and the hazard lights, sets the parking brake and automatically calls 911.

Cameras, mirrors and vision systems

A camera vision system has options for digital and analog camera input. Mack offers a hub which allows up to six camera views on the truck, four of which can be displayed on the truck’s secondary information display inside the truck at the same time.

A digital mirror system is also new. Cameras are housed in "wings" above driver and passenger doors and replicate the views of the traditional door mirrors. There is an option to capture the right-hand down view to allow the driver to see the blind spot on the passenger side. The images from the mirrors are displayed on monitors attached to each interior A-pillar.

Mack has taken a variety of steps to build a truck that will keep drivers safe in the event of an accident. Built Like a Mack Truck now means safety is built in, too.

Passive safety firsts in the Pioneer
Mack has incorporated a number of passive safety firsts in the new Pioneer.

• Front airbag
• Side curtain airbags
• Frontal collision and roll-over support
• Digital mirror system

The Pioneer is the safest Mack that we have ever produced in our history.” — Scott Sokach, Senior Product Manager – Complete Vehicle and Safety, Mack Trucks