TOPAS (tanker truck)
The TOPAS is a " T ankfahrzeug with o ptimierten p assiven and a notional S icherheitseinrichtungen" whose development began in 1980, was completed in early 1987, which was introduced in the same year on the market. It is equipped with numerous safety devices designed to help avoid serious accidents with tanker trucks that have occurred in the past . The vehicle was developed on the basis of a study by TÜV and with funding from the federal government as part of a study of the same name by Daimler-Benz , the tank manufacturer Haller , the Raab Karcher freight forwarder and its fleet manager Helmut Busch.
It was equipped with, among other things, electronic tire pressure monitoring , automatic fire extinguishing system , wear-free additional brake, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and traction control (ASR). The aluminum tank is far above the required safety regulations; The front and rear areas are even double-walled and filled with hard foam . A sophisticated mirror system and a camera at the rear allow the driver to navigate precisely to every point even without outside help. A light panel measuring 50 cm × 50 cm was attached to the upper half of the rear as a warning light in order to additionally indicate to the following traffic the changes in direction of the tanker and to provide additional safety with the words "Swing out". In addition, a reflective strip of light was attached, which allows the contours of the tanker to be seen in the dark . Lateral protective shields ensure that cars overtaking no longer drive into a spray wall.
However, the security features led to significant additional costs. The TOPAS tanker truck cost around 520,000 DM when it was launched in 1987 - at that time that was around 150,000 DM more than conventional tankers.
literature
- Fernfahrerblick No. 5, 1992, page 82.