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.
07 July 2010
27% of Americans Admit to Texting While Driving
Cell phones have universal appeal for a multitude of reasons, including staying in closecontact 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.
06 July 2010
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.
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