Trailer safety control for caravans and trailers

This Australia-led initiative aims to develop and commercialise the Trailer Safety Control – Hydraulic (TSC-H) system, an advanced safety solution integrating Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Trailer Sway Mitigation (TSM), and Lane Change Control (LCC).

Designed specifically for caravans and trailers (towables) equipped with electrohydraulic disc brake systems, TSC-H addresses a critical gap in the Australian market where no such integrated solution currently exists.

The addition of trailer-based ABS, TSM and LLC improves steerability, stability, and towing dynamics to caravans and trailers enhancing vehicle-based systems and reducing risks of sway, jack knifing, and loss of control, especially for inexperienced drivers and those new to towing.

Building on Bosch’s proven intellectual property and development in electric drum brake applications, this project extends the technology to support towables up to 4.5 tonnes with up to three axles. The TSC-H system is engineered to meet the unique demands of the Australian road conditions, including off-road environments, high temperatures, and long-distance towing.

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Participants

• • Robert Bosch (Australia) Pty Ltd
    

   

Project background

Development of TSC-H

Bosch has introduced a trailer safety system for trailers with electric drum brakes, with increasing fitment of electrohydraulic disc brakes in caravans and trailers, we have identified there is a gap in road safety with no ABS / sway control / lane change control system available for this disc brake application.

In developing the TSC-H solution Bosch will enable ABS installation to all caravans and trailers up to 4.5t with electric drum or electro-hydraulic disc brake applications which covers the majority of towables in the Australian marketplace. This improves control of towed vehicles and provides system intervention when things get out of control.

The TSC-H system is led and developed by the Bosch Australia team. This includes leveraging global hardware, designing application solutions, algorithm development, hardware adoption, product testing at AARC and then to production. All sales within Australia and to global markets will provide revenue to Australia and support future engineering projects in this space.

Technology and innovation driving safer towing in Australia

This project is centred on leveraging technology and innovation to enhance road safety for the increasing number of Australians towing caravans and trailers, as well as for other road users who may be impacted by towing-related incidents.

With caravanning deeply embedded in Australian culture, there is growing public awareness of the risks associated with towing. As highlighted in the ABC article Caravanning is in the Aussie blood, but ‘dangerous’ ignorance makes for horror holidays, a significant proportion of caravan accidents stem from uneven or overloaded setups.

While educational resources on proper loading exist, the introduction of the TSC H system with ABS would offer a proactive solution—helping to mitigate sway and improve control during emergency braking.

Real-world challenges for towing drivers

Towing conditions in Australia can be unpredictable and hazardous. Common scenarios that compromise driver control include:

• High crosswinds
• Uneven or unbalanced loads
• Sudden braking in traffic
• Wildlife encounters requiring evasive action
• Sway caused by overtaking trucks

The Bosch TSC-H system, built on ABS technology, is uniquely designed to address these challenges. It employs advanced algorithms and targeted braking interventions to assist drivers in maintaining control during critical moments.

Even experienced drivers can struggle in emergency situations—such as avoiding kangaroos or wombats on rural roads—where loss of control can lead to serious accidents. TSC-H provides an added layer of safety in these high-risk scenarios.

Proactive safety features

Beyond active braking support, the TSC-H system introduces several proactive safety enhancements:

• Startup System Check: Each time the vehicle is started, the system performs a diagnostic check and displays warnings via a lamp mounted on the towable. This alerts drivers to potential brake system faults
  before travel begins.
• Bosch TSC App Integration: The app provides detailed fault diagnostics and pre-travel checklists, helping drivers identify electrical or mechanical issues that might otherwise go unnoticed until failure occurs.
• Odometer Functionality: Using ABS tone wheels and wheel speed sensors, the system tracks distance travelled. This data, accessible via the app, supports data-driven maintenance—such as timely brake
  servicing and wheel bearing inspections.

These features collectively reduce the likelihood of brake-related failures and contribute to a measurable reduction in towing-related accidents and trauma.

Road safety context

Between 2015 and 2019, Australia recorded 1,714 crashes, 1,347 casualties, and 46 fatalities involving RVs and Towables. These incidents represent an annual economic burden of approximately $100 million, based on BITRE cost estimates. (Social Cost of Road Crashes | Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics)

With no current ABS solution for hydraulic disc brake-equipped towables, the risk of loss-of-control incidents remains high. Studies show that vehicles equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) are 22% less likely to be involved in crashes. TSC-H, as the towable equivalent, is expected to deliver similar safety benefits, significantly reducing crash rates and improving outcomes for road users.

The project will deliver a Trailer Safety System with ABS for a growing segment of the caravan market with disc brakes. The final product offers consumers the best level of safety and braking with TSC-H and disc brakes installed. This also protects other road users that may get caught in caravan accidents and reduce impacts to traffic when accidents occur.

It will also provide sales to Bosch Australia, domestically and globally.

Chassis and suspension suppliers will benefit from addition of this production the supply chain to caravan OEMs.

Finally, OEMs will offer caravans with improved levels of safety and at a premium end many manufacturers are now only offering designs with disc brake application.

Project objectives

The primary objective is to develop and commercialise the Trailer Safety Control for Electrohydraulic Disc Brake Systems system (TSC-H), an advanced trailer safety solution that integrates:

• Trailer Electric-Over-Hydraulic Braking (EOH)
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Trailer Sway Mitigation (TSM)
• Lane Change Control (LCC)
• Trailer Odometer (ODO)

Development of TSC-H means complete product development of this new system. Development progress is documented in Quality Gates milestones QG0, QG2 and QG4.

Commercialisation of TSC-H means making the product available to the market including manufacturing ramp up.

Please note …

This page will be a living record of this project. As it matures, hits milestones, etc., we’ll continue to add information, links, images, interviews and more. Watch this space!