SAE EDR Symposium: Day 2, Session 5

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The final session of the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) Symposium - a fine event - was the second Unique Applications.

The first speaker was Dave Plant from Washington, D.C. Mr. Plant spoke about research with the new DDEC 10 ECM system. Impressively, he was able to not only describe the new attributes of the DDEC 10, but he also compared this new system to the results of both SAE 2010-01-1004, which he co-authored (dealing with power loss and key signal requirements) and SAE 2001-01-0808, which dealt with data retrieval methods in other Detroit Diesel engines (and which Dave was the lead author of). Most interestingly, the DDEC 10 is a three-module system, with an additional module that controls emissions.

The second speaker was John Brophy from NHTSA. Mr. Brophy discussed the NHTSA NASS, SCI, and CIREN programs. These projects are currently collecting data, including EDR data, on thousands of crashes each year to be used in various highway safety projects (such as Dr. Gabler's work, which was discussed on Day 1). For example, between 2007-2009, NASS and SCI conducted 21,000 vehicle inspections, collecting approximately 600 data points per crash.

The third speaker was yours truly, discussing driver braking behavior in heavy vehicle (HV) crashes. My research attempts to use HVEDR data for the purpose of determining the characteristics of HV operator braking responses in crash and near-miss events. The research was able to demonstrate similar braking behavior between the HV operators and research respondents in testing of passenger vehicle drivers.

The final speaker was Balaji Yelchuru, who discussed using EOBR and on-vehicle technologies for green transportation. There seems to be a great deal that electronic real-time data can do, not just for our immediate safety as road users, but also for our environmental health and well being.

Well, that's a wrap. I hope those who followed my live-blogging found it enjoyable, and I hope to see you at future SAE events!!!

SAE EDR SYMPOSIUM: DAY 1, SESSION 3

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

Session Three of the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium has five speakers who are trucking safety professionals discussing their and their companies' experience with Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs) and various Event Data Recorder (EDR) systems.

The first speaker after lunch was Jerry Waddell from Cargo Transporters. Mr. Waddell discussed their positive experience with Critical Event Reporting, especially in notifying management of hard brake events.

The second speaker is Brett Graves from Maverick Transportation. Maverick Transportation is using predictive modeling to enhance the safety of their fleet. Their predictive models have greatly reduced their reportable and preventable rates per million miles.

The third speaker is Michael Baker from Usher Transport. Usher Transport has had only five rollovers in the 27 years that Mr. Baker has been there in safety. WOW!!! Some statistics from his presentation: 1/5 rollovers have two contributing factors: inattention and drowsiness. 1/5 rollovers results from excessive cornering speed. Lowering a trailer three inches increases stability by 10%. More stats: freeway off-ramps account for 7% of rollovers; interstate highways account for about 31%. State highways account for the remaining 68%. Forty-seven percent of rollovers result from lane departures. Only 9% result from cornering too fast.

The fourth speaker is James Burg of James Burg Trucking Company (JBTC). JBTC uses Drivecam Video Event Recorders and hauls normal and oversized loads. JBTC uses Drivecam as a training tool and also in incident and crash investigations. It has helped with company policy compliance, driving safety, and driver training. JBTC really works to make their drivers better drivers.

The fifth speaker is Sam Faucette from Old Dominion Freight Line. Old Dominion is the largest LTL carrier using EOBRs. They use a list of several variables that are monitored in order to evaluate safe, efficient operations. Like the other companies, they are turning "data" into useful information.

All five companies represented have one thing in common. They view safety as a human issue and rely on the EDR systems as tools to help the safety manager make good decisions and improve driver performance. Although they each use different techniques and different tools, they are all focused on developing high quality, well-trained, professional drivers.

Visit SAE's page about this event to learn more about the speakers. View the Event Guide for the SAE 2011 Highway Vehicle EDR Symposium (pdf).

Senators Pryor (D-AR) and Alexander (R-TN) Introduce New Electronic On-board Recorder (EOBR) Legislation

Benjamin Smith

Principal Technical Analyst

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

US Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced new legislation on March 31, 2011 that would require the installation of Electronic On-board Recorders (EOBRs) in commercial vehicles to document drivers' compliance with Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules.

The March 31 press release indicates that the Commercial Driver Compliance Improvement Act will require the EOBRs to be tamper-resistant, identify the vehicle's operator and record driving time, communicate with the Engine Control Module (ECM), provide real-time location recording, and allow for the data to be accessed by law enforcement in roadside inspections.

Senators Pryor and Alexander's new legislation aims at enforcing HOS rules more effectively and accurately. In the press release, Pryor said, "The trucking industry faces the constant balancing act of keeping fatigued drivers off the road while ensuring stores are full of merchandise. After several meetings with the trucking industry and Senate hearings on highway safety, I believe the most effective solution is to require the use of electronic on-board recorders."

Rand McNally Releases New, CSA-Compliant Version of TruckPC

Benjamin Smith
Principal Technical Analyst
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

Stemming from a joint venture with DriverTech in late 2010, Rand McNally announced today that they are launching a new version of their electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) system, TruckPC. This system will be in compliance with the new requirements set by CSA and will be fully integrated with the vehicle.

TruckPC will provide navigation tools, mileage calculation, driver behavior monitoring, pre-trip inspection instructions, and interactive satellite mapping for fleets and their drivers. In addition, TruckPC will also automatically track hours of service (HOS) for drivers.

TruckPC and other EOBR systems will make compliance with CSA easier for fleets that are facing the challenges of new governmental safety regulations.

Read Rand McNally’s press release. Learn more about CSA, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's initiative to improve large truck and bus safety.

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."

Transportation Safety in the News

The first three weeks of June have had more than their share of big news items related to transportation. Most interesting (and personally most encouraging) is the announcement of the American Trucking Association's 18 Point Safety Agenda. The agenda includes recommendations for improvements in Driver, Vehicle, and Motor Carrier performance.

If your opinion of the American trucking industry is still being influenced by Smokey and the Bandit (no disrespect to the movie!), take a minute to read the ATA's recommendations. They include mandatory speed limiters ("governors") set at 65mph and primary seat belt enforcement laws.

However, not everyone is behind the recommendations. The Owner Operator and Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) opposes the speed limiter provision. The link above (to TheTruckerDOTcom) includes OOIDA's statements, too.

Other important news already this month has included the release of NHTSA's Fatalites and Injuries in Motor Vehicle Backing Crashes, a comprehensive study of what causes and contributes to backing crashes on US highways and private parking lots. One of NHTSA's significant findings was confirmation that children under 5 years of age and adults over 70 years of age have an elevated risk of being injured in backing collisions.

Perhaps the most significant news came in the form of a 90-page white paper from the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, James Oberstar (D-MN). The paper is a blueprint for the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009, and it explicitly recommends making EOBR technology mandatory for the entire trucking industry. More information about the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 is available from the US House of Representatives' website.

Bill Speaks at Georgia Trial Lawyers Association's Annual Convention

On April 16th, Bill Messerschmidt was an invited speaker at the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association's Annual Convention. Bill spoke about GPS/GLS-enabled fleet management systems and Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBRs). The convention, which was held at The Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, was filled to capacity. Bill and MSC thank Mr. Buck Rogers of Fried Rogers Goldberg LLC for the invitation to speak in the Trucking Litigation session of the Convention.