Ben Smith Earns ACTAR Accreditation

Ben Smith, who manages MSC of Mississippi and serves as the Principal Technical Analyst, earned his ACTAR (Accreditation Commission for Traffic Accident Reconstruction) in November.

Since his office in downtown Hattiesburg opened in August 2010, Ben has performed work across the US, in areas such as Nevada, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Kentucky.

MSC Conducts Heavy Vehicle EDR Testing

In conjunction with the Wisconsin State Patrol, DP Plant & Associates, and Fox Valley Technical College, Benjamin Smith of MSC conducted research tests on Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorders (EDRs) last week. This testing was performed on Mercedes Benz and Detroit Diesel engines and took place at the Fox Valley Technical College driving course in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Over 35 tests were run in an effort to strengthen and supplement current research projects. These tests will be included in a publication to be released in mid-2011. They are part of a larger research effort that has been in operation since early 2009.

MSC thanks Fox Valley Technical College for having generously donated the use of test vehicles, test engines, test facilities, and staff. Smith says, “Our team’s research projects would not be possible without Fox Valley Technical College and their dedication to science and technology.”

MSC’s Ben Smith Attends National Crash Analysis Convention at The George Washington University

Washington, D.C. – MSC's Ben Smith is currently at the National Crash Analysis Convention, at the National Crash Analysis Center at the Virginia campus of The George Washington University. The conference lineup has included lectures and presentations on cutting-edge research being conducted at George Washington University and at the Federal Highway Administration research facility. The following list is a small sample of the presentations.

• “Opportunities for Occupant Protection in Far Side Impacts,” by Dr. Kennerly H. Digges, Mr. Vinay Nagabushana
• “Addressing Narrow Overlap Collisions: FLEE and FREE,” by Mr. Paul Scullion & Mr. Richard Morgan
• “Review of High Speed Rear-End Vehicle-to-Vehicle Crash Test Data from previous tests conducted for the conference,” by Dr. Kennerly H. Digges, Mr. Shaun Kildare, Lawrence Wilson, & Wade Bartlett
• “Guardrail Induced Rollover of Passenger Vehicles,” by Dr. Ken Opiela, Dr. Kennerly H. Digges, & Ms. Ana Eigen
• “Roof Crush and Roof Strength Characteristics from JRS Rollover Testing,” by Dr. Kennerly H. Digges & Dr. Carl Nash

In addition to hearing excellent presentations, Ben had the opportunity to tour the Federal Highway Administration research facilities in Langley, Virginia, tour the research facilities at George Washington University, and take part in live crash testing at the Federal Outdoor Impact Facility. Ben, along with other conference attendees, was able to observe a full-scale crash test involving a vehicle rear-end crash and a concrete barrier crash.

Ben took the images below, which show the crash sequence in one of the test crashes.

Educational Fund Established for the Son of Fallen US Soldier

On 18 August 2010, US Army Sergeant Brandon E. Maggart was killed in action in Basrah, Iraq. Read the report in Military Times.

Sgt. Maggart leaves behind his wife and their three-year-old son, Blake. Sgt. Maggart was killed in action on his son’s third birthday, which was just two weeks before he was due to be rotated home to Kirksville, Missouri. He served the United States in the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

Sgt. Maggart was the cousin of our friend and colleague, Ron Baade of Commonwealth Transportation Consultants. Ron co-teaches with Bill Messerschmidt at the University of Tulsa’s Continuing Engineering and Science Education department.

An educational fund has been established at Bank of America for Blake Maggartt. Those wishing to donate to should do the following.

Make checks payable to the: Blake Maggart Educational Fund

Mail to:
Travis Noe Funeral Home
PO Box 306
Kirksville, MO 63501

We hope you will continue to support the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, as well as their families, as they work to ensure our freedom.

New Anti-Distracted Driving Rules Announced at the 2010 Distracted Driving Summit

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced at yesterday’s second national Distracted Driving Summit that the federal government is initiating a new rulemaking to limit commercial truck drivers’ use of all electronic devices while hauling hazardous materials, as well as seeking to ban text messaging by all drivers hauling hazardous materials.

These announcements came on the heels of last week’s proposed rulemaking submitted to the White House for final review, which would prohibit all truck drivers from texting while driving. It is likely that this rule will be published in the Federal Register as early as next week, in which case the rule would take effect in late October.

Read more about LaHood's announcements during yesterday's Distracted Driving Summit.

Learn about distracted driving and the summit at DOT's site.

National Two-Second Turnoff Day: Sept. 17, 2010

A lot can happen in two seconds. For example, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, taking your eyes off the road for two seconds doubles your chances of being in a car crash. However, it only takes two seconds to turn off your cell phone before you get behind the wheel.

National Two-Second Turnoff Day takes place tomorrow. The campaign, sponsored by AAA, Seventeen Magazine, and the US Department of Transportation (DOT), urges teens to pay special attention to the risks of distracted driving. Research conducted by AAA and Seventeen found that 86% of male and female teens have driven while distracted, even though 84% admitted they know it's dangerous.

Seventeen Magazine's "Viral Video Challenge,” part of National Two-Second Turnoff Day, is actively helping teens spread the news of the dangers of distracted driving. Winner Emily Langston's anti-distracted driving video, "It Can Wait," will be featured at DOT's 2010 Distracted Driving Summit, in Washington, D.C., on September 21, 2010.

Congratulations to Ms. Langston, AAA, Seventeen Magazine, and DOT for working hard to promote safe driving.

Visit the official US Government website for distracted driving.

The 2010 IIHS Booster Evaluation: Check the Fit of Your Child's Booster Seat

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a good booster routes the lap belt across the child’s upper thighs and positions the shoulder belt at mid-shoulder. Proper safety belt positioning is shown in the IIHS photo above, in which the crash test dummy represents a six-year-old of average size.

Of 72 boosters recently evaluated by IIHS researchers, 21 of them (29%) earned the “BEST BET” rating (as opposed to only 15% earning the same rating last year). Seven boosters earned a “GOOD BET” rating, and eight boosters did a poor job of fitting belts and were not recommended by the Institute at all.

The remaining 36 boosters that were evaluated fell into the “in-between” group, based on their inconsistently fitting belts well on most children in most cars, minivans, and SUVs.

In a Sept. 8 IIHS press release, Institute senior vice president for research Anne McCartt said, "Unlike the top performers, consumers can't assume boosters in the in-between group will work in every family vehicle. Some may be fine, but parents still need to try them out to see if the lap and shoulder belts fit their kids correctly." The lap belt should not ride up on the child’s tummy, and the shoulder belt should not fall off the shoulder or rub against the child’s neck. Scroll down to the end of the press release to view the 2010 IIHS Booster Evaluation Results.

Do you have concerns about your child’s booster seat? September 25, 2010 is NHTSA’s National Seat Check Saturday, and certified child passenger safety technicians will be providing advice and offering hands-on seat inspections of child seats nationwide, free of charge. Find a Child Safety Seat Inspection location in your area.

NHTSA Child Passenger Safety Week: Sept. 19-25, 2010

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), approximately 8,959 lives have been saved by the use of child restraints during the last 30 years. Even so, crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3-14. Furthermore, NHTSA estimates that nearly 3 out of 4 parents use child restraints improperly.

Next week, September 19-25, 2010, is Child Passenger Safety Week. The week culminates with National Seat Check Saturday, which takes place on September 25 in numerous locations around the US.

On National Seat Check Saturday, certified child passenger safety technicians will provide advice and offer hands-on seat inspections nationwide, free of charge. Find a Child Safety Seat Inspection location in your area.

Learn more about child passenger safety.

Visit NHTSA's website to learn more about driving safety, vehicle safety, research, data, laws and regulations, and other important transportation-related topics.

MDATAI Annual Combined Conference

On October 6 -8, the Maryland Association of Technical Accident Investigators (MDATAI) will co-host the nation’s largest crash investigation conference at The Grand Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland.  Co-sponsoring organizations include:  the National Association of Professional Accident Reconstruction Specialists (NAPARS), the New York Statewide Accident Reconstruction Society (NYSTARS), the New Jersey Association of Accident Reconstructionists (NJAARS), the National Association of Traffic Accident Reconstructionists and Investigators (NATARI), and the Professional Society for Forensic Mapping (PSFM).

Bill Messerschmidt is an invited guest speaker (for the second consecutive year) at this conference.  Last year, Bill provided the closing session, entitled “The Past, Present, and Future of HVEDR Technology.”  This year, Bill will be presenting on the topic of investigative techniques for documenting conspicuity treatments and commercial vehicle lighting.

Other speakers at the Combined Conference include:  Jeffery Muttart, Jim Sobek, Kevin Johnson, Dr. Angela Trego, Andy Rich, Chuck Veppert, Joe Cofone, Edward Weber, and Jeremy Onyan with Arnold Wheat.

Last year, Dr. Andrew Ridnour from MSC attended along with Bill.  This year Dr. Ridnour and MSC Analyst Kevin Jones will both be attending the conference.  We are looking forward to another great conference, and are grateful to Bob Squire (MDATAI) and the other organizers for the chance to visit Ocean City!

Learn more about the conference here.

EDR (Black Box) Data Retrieval

MSC is an industry leader in Heavy Vehicle Event Data Recorder (HVEDR) technology. Our employees have authored peer-reviewed research, developed software tools, and performed HVEDR downloads and analysis from New York to California.

Along with our experience with HVEDRs, MSC has been actively involved in using the Crash Data Retrieval Tool (CDR Tool), which can access up to 25 seconds of valuable pre-crash event data in passenger cars. CDR Tool version 3.5 currently supports Event Data collection from many General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Isuzu, and Mitsubishi vehicles.

The event data that are downloaded—such as brake circuit status, airbag deployment status, seatbelt use status, wheel speed, engine RPM, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, and so on—depend on the type of passenger car. View a comprehensive vehicle coverage list.

MSC’s staff has a great deal of experience with the preservation and analysis of these data.

Benjamin Smith received Bosch-certified CDR training from the Collision Safety Institute in San Diego, CA. Having carried out hundreds of crash investigations, Ben has performed over 300 CDR downloads.

While serving as a crash investigator for a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contractor, Kevin Jones received his CDR training directly from employees of NHTSA, the National Automotive Sampling System, and the US DOT Traffic Safety Institute. He performed over 300 CDR downloads as part of that NHTSA contract.

Bill Messerschmidt received Bosch-certified CDR training through the Collision Safety Institute in San Diego, CA. Bill has participated in CDR validation testing with W. Rusty Haight and was an invited speaker at the First and Second Annual Crash Data Retrieval Tool Conferences. Bill is one of only two individuals to have authored peer-reviewed research on both heavy vehicle and passenger vehicle EDRs.

When handled properly and interpreted correctly, “black box” data from both passenger cars and heavy vehicles can provide invaluable clues about crash-causation and mishap prevention.

MSC Expands to Mississippi

On Monday, August 16, MSC opened its doors in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Our new office--pictured above--is located at 518 Main Street in the revitalized downtown area of the Hub City. The new office will be managed by Ben Smith, a Hattiesburg resident and USM alumnus.

Read the text of our press release below, or check it out in the Birmingham Business Journal or the Mississippi Business Journal.

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants (MSC), a provider of traffic safety and forensic analysis based in Birmingham, Ala., announced today it opened an office in Hattiesburg, Miss., to serve the growing demand for MSC’s accident reconstruction and forensic analysis services. The Hattiesburg office expands MSC’s ability to offer local support services to its growing base of clients in the region. This is the second office location for MSC.

"We have seen significant growth in inquiries for our technical expertise and analysis," said William Messerschmidt, founder and principal technical analyst, MSC. "Our transportation, legal and insurance industry clients in the Florida Panhandle, New Orleans, La., Jackson, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., are experiencing an increase in their need for accident analysis and accident prevention services. To support their efforts, we are expanding our local resources. The Hattiesburg office will deliver superior support to our clients.”

The new Hattiesburg office will be owned and operated by Mississippi-based management and will be located at:

518 Main Street, Suite 202, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401

“We chose Hattiesburg because it is a vibrant community with a commitment to both arts and sciences,” said Messerschmidt. “We seek to draw on the locally available talent to employ professionals, scientists and support staff focused on consulting, research and product development.”

All of us at MSC want to thank our clients (and our professional vendors) who have made the launch of our new office possible!

MSC to Sponsor Run to Benefit Alabama State Trooper Association

At 9:00 pm on October 29, 2010, the Alabama State Trooper Association (ASTA) and the Tuscaloosa Track Club will be co-hosting the Freaky Friday 10K Run in Coker, Alabama. The run will raise money for the ASTA, particularly the death benefit fund, which was created to help the families of fallen Troopers in the aftermath of a tragedy.

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants is proud to support the Alabama State Trooper Association as a sponsor of the 2010 Freaky Friday 10K.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), the number of law enforcement officers and State Troopers killed in the line of duty has increased by 44% in the first half of 2010. Read the news release.

The ASTA is an organization of over 1000 current and former State Troopers (including MSC's Principal Motor Carrier Safety Consultant, Ronnie DeMonia). The ASTA provides supplemental life insurance to State Troopers, represents the Alabama Law Enforcement, and works to “advance the principles of proper law enforcement and to protect the community and rights of all citizens of the State of Alabama.” Learn more about ASTA and their mission.

The entry fee for the Freaky Friday 10K Run is $20 ($15 for members of the Tuscaloosa Track Club) and includes a participant t-shirt. For more information about how to help sponsor the run, contact Cpl. David Steward, AST at 205.553.5531.

Bill Messerschmidt Presents at IAARS Annual Conference

On July 19, 2010, MSC’s Principal Technical Analyst, Bill Messerschmidt, had the opportunity to address the annual conference of the International Association of Accident Reconstruction Specialists (IAARS).

At this year’s conference, Bill provided a presentation on human factors in vehicle collision reconstruction, as well as a session on heavy vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) technology. Learn more about heavy vehicle EDRs.

The conference was held at the Mall of America Radisson Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, and was attended by civilian and law enforcement crash investigators and engineers from across the US and Canada.

Conference organizer and IAARS president Dan Lofgren said, “It was a very good seminar experience for all in attendance, in large part due to your presentations. We had very good feedback.” Positive feedback can be attributed in large part to the subject matter experts invited by IAARS and the excellent planning and facilities chosen by the organizers.

Other speakers included Dr. Frank Navin, Mr. Peter Murphy, Dr. Don Schmalzbauer, IAARS president Dan Lofgren, and textbook author Myron Lofgren. It was an honor for Bill and MSC to be included “on the ticket” with these people.

The cost of the conference was $75 for members of IAARS, and it provided ACTAR continuing education credits for accredited reconstruction experts. MSC is looking forward to the 2011 IAARS Conference.

FMCSA Sends Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on HOS to the White House

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sent its notice of proposed rulemaking regarding a new Hours-of-Service (HOS) rule to the White House on July 26th. From this point, the agency has until July 2011 to publish the proposed rule, receive comments on it, and issue a new final rule.

During the past five years the FMCSA’s HOS Regulation has been one of their most hotly contested regulations. Because of policy changes and legal challenges to the FMCSA, the HOS rules have been changed—and then changed back—several times.

The last amendment to the HOS rules, which increased the maximum number of hours a driver could drive (after coming back on duty) from 10 to 11 hours, went into effect in January 2004. That amendment prompted concerns about driver fatigue, as well as the current lawsuit and settlement requiring the FMCSA to pen a new HOS rule.

Based on the amount of time typically needed by the Office of Management and Budget for reviewing regulations like these, the Federal Register will likely publish the proposed rule in late October / early November of this year.

Con-way Freight Incorporates Advanced Safety Technologies

Less-than-truckload (LTL) Con-way Freight recently invested $5.4 million toward the installation of several advanced safety technologies into 1,300 new Freightliner Cascadia 2010-model tractors, which the carrier has put into service. Con-way’s goals for incorporating the safety technologies are to reduce the frequency of accidents and the accident situations that trucks are most commonly involved in. They are also aiming to minimize driver distraction.

Examples of the technologies Con-way has installed include a forward collision warning technology with adaptive cruise control, developed by Meritor Wabco, to help with maintaining a safe following distance and to help with avoiding rear-end collisions by braking as needed. The lane departure warning system, developed by Iteris, monitors the vehicle’s lane position and sounds an alarm when the vehicle’s operator unintentionally moves out of the lane. The roll stability control, also developed by Meritor Wabco, senses when the vehicle is at high risk of a rollover and automatically intervenes. And in order to help minimize driver distraction, Con-way implemented factory-installed, in-dash AM/FM/satellite radios in place of portable radios. This means drivers have one fewer distraction to content with behind the wheel.

"With the anticipated release of FMCSA's Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 initiative and the potential for stricter safety regulations for truck drivers and trucking companies, Con-way Freight is proactively pursuing a high-tech approach to safety," said Bob Petrancosta, the company's vice president of safety. Petrancosta also stated that Con-way was very pleased to work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) in the year of testing and research that went into the implementation of the technologies which can provide “real-world, lifesaving results.”

Read a news piece about Con-way’s safety technologies.

Visit Con-way Freight online.
Visit Meritor Wabco online.
Visit Iteris online.

27% of Americans Admit to Texting While Driving

Cell phones have universal appeal for a multitude of reasons, including staying in close
contact with family, friends, coworkers or clients. With the advent of smart phones, having
access to information, news, messaging, and games on handheld devices further encourages their use.

A new Pew Internet survey reports that 27% of American adults (those age 18 and
older) say they have texted while driving. These findings come from a nationwide phone
survey of 2,252 American adults conducted between April 29 - May 30, 2010.

People ages 18-33 are the most likely age group to report texting while driving, and 59% report having sent or read messages while behind the wheel. Fifty percent of people ages 34-45 report having sent or read messages while behind the wheel, while 29% of people ages 46-64 report doing so.

"The temptation to stay connected and multitask in what is otherwise seen as idle time is very strong," said Mary Madden, a senior research specialist at the Pew Research Center and an author of the new study. "However, one point that is often overlooked in discussions of this issue is that it's about more than just keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. When you're in conversation with someone outside the car — whether texting or talking — it reduces your situational awareness which is so essential to having a quick reaction time to hazards on the road."

Read a short article about the study.

FleetMentor Offering Webcast Series to Help with CSA 2010

At the end this month, FleetMentor--J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.'s online advisor tool for fleet management--will be offering the first of seven monthly webcasts that will cover each of the Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) under the FMCSA's CSA 2010 initiative. Visit the FleetMentor website.

Kicking off the series on July 28, 2010, at 1:00 pm Central Time is: "The Vehicle Maintenance BASIC: Staying on the Road to Compliance." Transportation professionals who are not currently using J. J. Keller's online fleet management advisor can register by signing up for a free 30-day trial of FleetMentor.

Each of the interactive, instructional webcasts in the series will be hosted by J. J. Keller's experts and will cover subjects such as roadside inspections, applicable regulations, violations, interventions, records keeping, scoring, and the safety management cycle. Various elements of FleetMentor's "online toolbox" will be covered, the goals of which are to help participants prepare for and manage their compliance programs under CSA 2010.

The following list provides the schedule for the remainder of the FleetMaster webcasts:

"Unsafe Driving," August 26, 2010 at 1:00 pm Central Time
"Improper Loading / Cargo Securement," September 22, 2010 at 1:00 pm Central Time
"Fatigued Driving (HOS/EOBR)," October 28, 2010 at 1:00 pm Central Time
"Controlled Substances and Alcohol," November 16, 2010 at 1:00 Central Time
"Driver Fitness," December 14, 2010 at 1:00 PM Central Time
"Crash / Incident Experience," January 25, 2011 at 1:00 Central Time

Visit the J. J. Keller website.

Helping Tour Groups Choose the Right Vehicle and Passenger Carrier Company

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the agency within the US Department of Transportation (DOT) tasked with the mission of bus and truck safety. There is a wealth of information on the FMCSA website, and one resource we'd like to highlight is their Passenger Carrier Safety Website, which is an interactive, informational tool to aid individuals or groups in selecting the right vehicle and the safest passenger carrier companies.

The FMCSA's Passenger Carrier Safety website allows users to select a vehicle type based on the number of passengers to be transported, length of trip in terms of time, whether the passengers will have baggage or equipment, and the type of terrain the vehicle will traverse during the course of the trip.

After determining which vehicle type is right for the trip and for meeting the group's needs, users can use the search tools to Find a Carrier. The search generates a list of interstate passenger carriers in the area the user specifies, and it provides safety information on these carriers based on safety ratings.

For other helpful resources—including information on pre-trip safety for bus/motorcoach passengers, and information on selecting vehicles and carriers for transporting children—check out the FMCSA’s Bus/Motorcoach Passenger Safety Information page.

Paying Attention to Tour Bus Safety: Surprise Roadside Inspections at Yosemite National Park

Approximately 250,000 visitors arrive at Yosemite National Park on tour buses each year, and a large majority of the tour bus passengers are international visitors. During a five day period of surprise roadside inspections of commercial tour buses at Yosemite National Park, June 9-20, only 31% (47 of 153) of the buses were deemed safe and released with no citation. In contrast, 21% were deemed so unsafe that they were taken out of service by federal inspectors (22 for safety-related equipment problems, and 10 for drivers' logbook violations).

The unannounced inspections were carried out by the FMCSA in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the National Park Service (NPS), along with Yosemite Law Enforcement Rangers and other agencies. Surprise inspections like this will take place at the park this year. Read more about the June 2010 Yosemite inspection event.

Good News About Crash Statistics & Survival Rates for Senior Drivers

A status report published by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on June 19 reports that the rate of fatal crashes per licensed driver aged 70 and older declined between 1997 - 2008. The rate of less severe crashes reported to law enforcement during the time period also decreased.

These unanticipated declines are particularly noteworthy considering the proportion of the US population aged 65 and older is growing. IIHS researchers also found a 34% decline in injury crash rates among drivers aged 80 and older between 1997 - 2005 -- compared to a decline of 16% for drivers aged 35 - 54.

What factors may have influenced these trends? According to the IIHS study, older drivers may be "policing" themselves; in other words, they may be deciding to stop driving when they believe they can no longer do so safely. Another possible factor discussed in the report is that states can impose restrictions on drivers as they age. The study reports that as of May 2010, 18 states have shortened license renewal periods; nine states require vision tests for older drivers at each renewal; two states require road tests; and seven states require older drivers to renew their license in person.

The Institute notes that improvements in older people's physical conditioning and health could be reducing their risk of crashing, as well as increasing their chances of survival in the event they do crash. "Seniors are less likely to get into police-reported crashes in the first place, and they're less likely to die from their injuries when they do crash. This isn't what we expected, given older driver demographics and other influences," said Anne McCartt, IIHS Senior Vice President for Research and an author of this recent report.

View the IIHS Status Report, Volume 45:6.

More Value Added to MCSAC

Anne Ferro, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), recently appointed senior officials from the Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.) to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC). John Lannen, TSC Executive Director, and Jane Mathis, Board Member of P.A.T.T., were among the eight new advisory committee members added to the committee. The purpose of MCSAC is to provide advice, information, and recommendations to the FMCSA in regards to motor carrier safety regulations and programs.

“Making the nation’s highways safer for all drivers by making truck safety a top national priority is what the Truck Safety Coalition is all about,” said Lannen. Mathis, whose son and daughter-in-law were killed in a 2004 collision said, “I look forward to offering the perspective of a mother whose child’s death could have been prevented had stronger regulations and enforcement been in place.”

The first meeting with the new MCSAC committee was held on June 8 – 10. Foremost on the agenda was to find ways to prevent distracted driving by commercial motor vehicle operators, with a particular emphasis on in-cab technologies and activities.

Read about the other new MCSAC committee members.
Visit the TSC website.

Effective July 1: Kansas Safety Belt Law, Georgia Text Ban

Kansas Becomes 31st State to Pass Primary Safety Belt Law
Beginning July 1st, law enforcement officers can stop truckers for not wearing a safety belt in Kansas. Previously, Kansas law considered failing to wear a safety belt a secondary offense; it could only be enforced if the driver was stopped for another infraction, such as speeding. By passing the law, Kansas is eligible for $1 million in federal funds for public safety programs. Read an article by the Wichita Eagle.

Georgia Becomes 28th State to Ban Texting While Driving
Also beginning on July 1st, drivers in Georgia can receive a citation for texting while driving. The law bans sending a text message as well as reading an incoming text. However, Georgia Gov. Sonny Purdue indicated that the law may change in the future because of potentially confusing ramifications in the language. When a cell phone buzzes, the driver may not know whether it is a phone call or a text message without checking the phone. A law enforcement official may interpret checking a phone to be reading a text message. Read an article by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

FMCSA to Establish Regulatory Guidelines Regarding Sleep Apnea

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is studying the effect of sleep apnea and the potential impact on truck drivers.

Sleep apnea is most often caused by a blockage of a person’s air passageway, most commonly when the soft tissue in the throat collapses and closes during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea can repeatedly stop breathing during their sleep – often for a minute or longer.

"Drivers with severe sleep apnea are at greater risk of being involved in a crash," says Anne Ferro, chief of the FMCSA. Ferro contends that sleep apnea promotes fatigue, and fatigue is estimated to be an associated factor in 13 percent of all truck crashes and 28 percent of single vehicle crashes.

The FMCSA is considering recommendations from the Medical Review Board that suggest that all drivers should be tested for sleep apnea. However, it acknowledges that more scientific data linking sleep apnea to driver safety is required before it would recommend barring a driver from certification.

Schneider National, J.B. Hunt, and Coastal Pacific Xpress are companies that have implemented or are developing a sleep apnea program without waiting on regulations. Don Osterberg, senior vice president of safety at Schneider said, “The real objective is to improve the welfare and safety not only of our own drivers but the motoring public as well.”

Read a news piece on sleep apnea and trucking safety.

President Obama Issues Executive Order to Improve Fuel Efficiency of Trucks

President Obama has directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to create the first-ever national policy to increase fuel efficiency for both medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks starting with model years 2014 and full compliance by 2018.

In announcing the directive, the President said the fuel economy of commercial trucks could increase as much as 25 percent using technologies in place today. Preliminary analysis suggests that—over the lifetime of vehicles built between 2014-2018—the program could save up to 500 million barrels of oil and achieve approximately $70 billion in fuel savings.

As auto/truck manufacturers strive to meet the executive order of more fuel efficiency, some of the ramifications could include:

· Reduction in the overall weight of trucks
· Smaller truck engines installed

Critics argue this is a classic case of fuel efficiency versus safety. In order to achieve the standards, trucks will need to be lighter in order to use less fuel. However, lighter weight trucks can make the driver more susceptible to injury in a collision. The challenge will be for engineers to explore new ways to keep drivers and occupants safe in lighter trucks. Additionally, the policy created by the EPA and DOT must be closely monitored and evaluated to determine the impact on truck driver safety.

Read a short news piece about the policy.

Roadcheck 2010 Begins Tomorrow

For 72 continuous hours, June 8-10, law enforcement officers and inspectors will be conducting comprehensive safety inspections of trucks and enforcing safety belt use. Roadcheck is sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CSVA). In 2009, Roadcheck performed 72,782 truck and bus inspections, and it can be said that this resulted in saving 17 lives and preventing 307 injuries.

The focus of Roadcheck 2010 will be a North American Standard (NAS) Level I Inspection, which includes an examination of the following:

· Driver’s license
· Medical examiner's certificate and waiver
· Alcohol and drugs (if applicable)
· Driver’s record of duty status (as required)
· Hours of service
· Seat belt
· Vehicle inspection report
· Brake system
· Coupling devices
· Exhaust system
· Frame & fuel system
· Turn signals
· Brake, tail and head lamps
· Lamps on projecting loads
· Safe loading
· Steering mechanism
· Suspension
· Tires, wheels and rims
· Van and open-top trailer bodies
· Windshield wipers
· Emergency exits on buses and HM requirements as applicable

"Roadcheck is successful because of the dedication and hard work of the thousands of roadside inspectors all across North America, as well as the strength of our partnerships and of the combined commitment to ensure trucks and buses are sharing the road safely with others," said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA's interim executive director.

Visit the CVSA website.
Learn more about Roadcheck 2010.

Maryland Bans Handheld Cell Phone Use While Driving; Wisconsin Bans Texting While Driving

Maryland is the latest state to ban the use of handheld cell phones while driving. On May 20, Gov. Martin O’Malley signed into law a bill that makes it a secondary offense to be caught using a handheld cell phone while driving. This means an officer can enforce the law only after observing a driver committing another offense, such as running a stop sign. Under the new law, which will take effect on October 1, drivers will be permitted to use a hands-free device for talking.

Wisconsin recently enacted a law banning texting while driving. On May 5, Gov. Jim Doyle signed into law a bill that makes it a primary offense to be caught texting on a mobile device while driving. The new law will take effect on December 1. With the Wisconsin ban, 50 percent of states have enacted a ban on texting. Governors Highway Safety Association’s executive director Barbara Harsha said that she expected another 10 to 15 states to act on a texting ban within the next year.

View a comprehensive list of all cell phone- and texting-while-driving bans by state.

Cell phone use while driving and text messaging while driving are just two examples of distracted driving. Learn more about distracted driving.

New Drivers Should Implement Circle of Safety

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9 percent growth in trucking jobs by 2018, which represents more than 290,000 jobs. During the economic downturn, thousands of Americans are turning to commercial driving as a career alternative. Read about the growth of trucking jobs.

An important issue for new commercial motor vehicle drivers is their general knowledge of trucking safety. To help keep safety in mind, in addition to an inspection prior to any long haul, drivers should complete a "Circle of Safety" check prior to each drive. The Circle of Safety is simply one complete walk around the entire truck with a mental checklist of items to inspect.

A standard Circle of Safety should include:

Lights – Check the headlights, fog lights, stop, turn, and clearance lights. Replace dead bulbs and keep extras on-board.

Glass – Check the windshield, side windows, and mirrors for scratches, cracks, and excessive dirt. Use glass cleaner to help remove tree sap, tar, and other road grime.

Wheels – Check the tire treads, sidewalls, and inflation levels. Be sure to look for nails, stones, and other road debris that can get embedded in tires. Examine lug nuts to help ensure they are tight and not cross-threaded.

Cargo – Check the doors to ensure they are closed and that cargo is properly secured. Check hitches, electrical connections, and retainers, and be sure to check regularly because cargo can shift during trips.

Once the exterior inspection is complete, make sure the radio, phone, and horn are working. Remember to buckle your safety belt and stay mindful of safety.

State Funding for Safety Programs to Increase

As an effort to boost state-managed fleet safety compliance, DOT compliance, and safety consulting programs, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established new state registration fees distributed to states that participate in the Unified Carrier Registration Program (UCRP). Enforcement of fees will begin on July 15.

The fees were set higher than last year’s fees, yet they are lower than what was proposed by the agency in 2009.

Number of Vehicles	Previous Fee	New Fee
1 - 2	$39	$76
3 – 5	$116	$227
6 – 20	$231	$452
21 – 100	$806	$1,576
101 – 1,000	$3,840	$7,511
1,001 – 200,000	$37,500	$73,346

The new fees only apply to commercial motor vehicle power units and were launched April 27th. The increased state registration fees may help to remedy fee-based revenue shortfalls that have been experienced by states due to inadequate payment enforcement at roadside inspections and also due to carriers miscounting power units.

Read more about the fee increase.

Smart Cars of the Future are Closer than You Think

Automobiles that communicate with drivers have been around for a while. However, under a new initiative from the Department of Transportation, cars will soon be communicating with each other. US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the initiative during a speech at ITSA 2010.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology would give cars a standard method to communicate by combining a GPS system with a wireless communication system similar to Wi-Fi. Drivers would be warned if they were making a lane change and a car was in their blind spot, or the car could automatically apply the brakes when the driver doesn't notice the stalled truck ahead.

According to DOT statistics, an estimated 76 percent of crashes involving unimpaired drivers could be prevented using the technology. The technology is already an option in some newer cars, but the Intelligent Transportation Systems being proposed are much more advanced and comprehensive.

"We are fully committed to dedicated short-range communications that can deliver real-time information and data to and between vehicles on the road," said Secretary LaHood. In a related story, CNET reports that IBM will partner with the Texas Transportation Institute to test the next generation of vehicle communications and analytical tools. Read more about this partnership.

Read an article about the DOT’s IntelliDrive Initiative.

Visit the IntelliDrive website.

Commercial Truck Drivers in Western US are the Safest

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a study showing seventy-nine percent of commercial truck drivers in the Western US were using their safety belts in 2009. This region has the highest percentage of safety belt usage in the US. The lowest rated region in the US was the Northeast with only sixty-four percent.

Commercial Safety Belt usage by region:

• Northeast 64%
• Midwest 68%
• South 75%
• West 79%

Overall, commercial truck drivers increased safety belt usage from sixty-five percent in 2007 to seventy-four percent in 2009.

A recent article published in the Commercial Carrier Journal quoted U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who stated, “Safety belts save lives. We applaud those who are buckling up, but we won’t rest until every commercial driver is using a safety belt.”

One other interesting finding is that commercial safety belt usage is higher in states where not wearing a safety belt is considered a primary offense. This deterrent appears to be one of the most effective methods to increase safety belt usage.

Read the executive summary for the Seat Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers 2009 Survey.

Source: Commercial Carrier Journal: 3/22/10

FHWA Proposes Revisions to the MUTCD

On April 22, 2010, the Federal Register published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding revisions to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which were proposed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The MUTCD is the national standard for traffic control devices used on all publicly traveled roadways.

The proposed revision to the MUTCD will add standards, guidance, options, and support information on maintaining uniform minimum levels for retroreflectivity of pavement markings. (Such standards were put into place regarding minimum levels of retroreflectivity for roadway signs in 2007.)

The notice states that the proposed revisions will “promote safety, enhance traffic operations, and facilitate comfort and convenience for all drivers, including older drivers” by establishing a minimum standard for nighttime pavement marking performance. Read the notice.

The minimum standard proposed by the FHWA is based on their research on drivers' nighttime visibility needs. Comments on the proposed revisions are being accepted until August 20, 2010.

Learn more about nighttime visibility, retroreflective pavement markings, and related issues at the FHWA’s “Nighttime Visibility” website.

Washington Fortifies Law on Hands-Free Cell Phone Use While Driving

On March 26, Washington became the 6th state to pass a law making it a primary offense to be caught holding a cell phone to your ear while driving.

By making it a primary offense to use a cell phone without a headset while driving, a law enforcement officer can stop any driver seen holding a cell phone to their ear. Previously, this was considered a secondary offense; it could only be enforced if the driver was stopped for another infraction, such as speeding.

The others states passing laws that make talking without a headset a primary offense are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Oregon. The District of Columbia has also enacted this law. Read more about the law.

DOT Issues Rule Requiring Electronic On-Board Recorders for Serious Hours-of-Service Violations

Interstate commercial truck and bus companies with a minimum of 10 percent hours-of-service violations during a compliance review will be required to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all their vehicles. EOBRs are devices that record the number of hours drivers spend operating the vehicle.

The US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) passed the rule on April 2, 2010 (scheduled to begin June 1, 2012) and estimates 5,700 interstate carriers will use EOBRs by July 2013. Learn more about the rule.

"We are committed to cracking down on carriers and drivers who put people on our roads and highways at risk," said Secretary Ray LaHood. "This rule gives us another tool to enforce hours-of-service restrictions on drivers who attempt to get around the rules."

MSC in Wisconsin Trooper Magazine

In February, Messerschmidt Safety Consulting was honored by inclusion in the cover story of the Spring 2010 issue of Wisconsin Trooper magazine. Wisconsin Trooper is the official quarterly publication of the Wisconsin State Trooper Association.

During 2009, Troopers from the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) made important contributions to two Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) technical papers. Sergeant Duane Meyers coauthored a technical paper with Dr. L. Daniel Metz, which looks at tire/road friction at high speeds (“Controlled Braking Experiments with and without ABS,” forthcoming SAE 2010-01-1000), and Trooper Tim Austin coauthored a technical paper with representatives of several other organizations (including MSC) on the effect that power failure has on event data recorders (EDRs) in heavy trucks (“Simulating the Effect of Collision-Related Power Loss on the Event Data Recorders of Heavy Trucks,” forthcoming SAE 2010-01-1004).

Wisconsin’s Technical Reconstruction Unit, of which Meyers and Austin are members, continues to make meaningful and valuable contributions to forensic science, accident investigation and reconstruction, and criminal justice. We at MSC are privileged to have had the opportunity to work with the WSP and to have been included in the Trooper Association’s quarterly magazine.

Revisiting the 50th Anniversary of the IIHS

Last September, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) celebrated their 50^th Anniversary with such a bang that we think this “news” is worth revisiting.

At an event celebrating the contributions of auto insurers to the progress of improvements in highway safety, a crash test was conducted with a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The crash event helped demonstrate how car crashworthiness has evolved since 1959.

Robert P. Hartwig, PhD, the President of the Insurance Information Institute, gave the keynote speech at this event. In his speech, he provided interesting statistics to help explain the progress of highway safety over the past 50 years. Dr. Hartwig said “there were 6 percent fewer highway deaths in 2008 than in 1960 despite the fact that last year [2008] there were nearly three times as many licensed drivers, four times as many cars and ten times as many miles driven than in 1960.” Read more about the event.

To see how much better the 2009 Malibu fared than the 1959 Bel Air, view a short video of the crash test event.

FMCSA Bans Text Messaging While Driving CMVs

On Tuesday, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a ban on text messaging while driving for all commercial truck and bus drivers. The ban goes into effect today, 27 January 2010, and is the result of an administrative interpretation of 49 CFR 390.17.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has provided regulatory guidance on this issue; read the rule in the Federal Register.

Transport Topics Online quoted American Trucking Association (ATA) President Bill Graves as saying, “ATA supports DOT’s action to ban the use of handheld wireless devices by commercial drivers to send or receive text messages while driving.”

Landline Magazine Online quoted Owner Operators and Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) Executive Vice President Todd Spencer, whose review was not as positive:

“We support where they are going, but not how they got there…. Making their action effective immediately bypasses normal regulatory rulemaking processes. Those processes allow actions to be vetted for unintended consequences, as well as potential implementation and enforcement problems.”

The fine for texting while driving will be up to $2,750.00

Mack Truck EDR Downloads

It is common knowledge among vehicle collision investigators that the electronic engine controls in Mack Trucks contain an event data recording function. Mack has supported this technology since 1998, when the V-MAC III system came online. Today V-MAC III and V-MAC IV systems both support the collection of event data often associated with collisions, rollovers, and other mishaps.

The difficulty for investigators has been in getting these valuable data. During 2007, the turnaround time for having data extracted from the electronic controls and then returned to the investigator often was longer than six months.

In 2008, Mack Trucks took steps to solve this problem--selecting two Third Party Authorized Providers of the data extraction service. The Authorized Providers are Delta-V Forensic Engineers in Charlotte, NC and KEVA Engineering in Camarillo, CA.

The immediate result was a drastic reduction in turnaround time with no additional cost.

Recently, Delta-V and KEVA launched a website to help inform the public about Mack data extraction services. The site contains the required forms, addresses, and instructions for obtaining event data from Mack trucks.

Many of us hope that Mack will allow the software and hardware to be publicly distributed; however, until then, we have a much improved system with relatively short turnaround time, guaranteed competence of the engineer performing the extraction, and excellent (in our experience) customer support.

The URL for this new website is: www.hvedr.com.

FocusDriven: Raising Awareness About Distracted Driving

FocusDriven is a national nonprofit organization created by US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the National Safety Council to address the issue of distracted driving. People who talk or text on their cell phone while driving are considered distracted drivers. Distracted drivers can create dangerous situations on the road and have caused an increase in fatal car crashes. The formation of FocusDriven was formally announced last Tuesday.

The mission of FocusDriven is to advocate for victims of motor vehicle crashes caused by people using their cell phone while driving, and also to increase public awareness about the dangers of cell phone use while driving. Increased public awareness could help advance public policies to address distracted driving as well as ultimately lead to the group’s ability to expand their mission to include educational components and technology solutions.

Results of a public opinion poll conducted by Nationwide Insurance show 81% of the public admitting to talking on a cell phone while driving. This statistic, as well as other important information, can be found at FocusDriven’s website.

Additional information can be found at the Department of Transportation’s website on distracted driving.

Learn more about an example of technology aimed at helping individuals avoid the temptation to talk or text while driving--and also aimed at helping businesses enforce policies against distracted driving--at the ZoomSafer website.