NTSB’s 10 Most Wanted List – 2012

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
MSC

Each year the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releases a list of 10 most-wanted safety improvements. The agency’s annual list is intended to increase awareness and support for the most critical changes necessary for reducing traffic accidents.

The following are a few of the advocacy priorities that appear on this year’s list:

Eliminate Distraction in Transportation
The NTSB suggests that states and regulators ban the nonessential use of portable electronic devices that don’t directly support a driving-related task. The agency suggests that manufacturers develop technology that disables portable electronic devices within reach of the driver. They also point out that young drivers are especially likely to use portable electronic devices (such as cell phones) when driving, and that antidistraction campaigns specifically directed at teens are important.

Mandate Motor Vehicle Collision Avoidance Technologies
Technologies such as electronic stability control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning exist to help improve drivers’ reaction time and aid drivers when an unexpected driving condition occurs. Despite the availability of these and other technologies, some are not required or mandated. The NTSB purports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should establish standards and mandate certain technologies as standard equipment in cars and commercial motor vehicles.

Improve the Safety of Bus Operations
The NTSB puts forth that an important step in improving the safety of bus operations is ensuring that professional motorcoach drivers are qualified. Methods of helping ensure that a driver can be considered "qualified" include longer and more comprehensive reviews of their driving history, maintaining higher expectations and standards as far as drivers’ undergoing regular medical exams, and limiting drivers’ hours of service.

In addition to these most-wanted improvements, the NTSB lists safety improvements in areas including aviation, rail, and infrastructure.

Read more about NTSB’s most-wanted safety improvements at the agency's website. 

ATRI Releases Roll Stability System (RSS) Analysis

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
MSC

Last Friday, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released the industry’s first major comparative analysis of Roll Stability Systems (RSS) based on operational data from over 135,000 heavy trucks. The analysis considered factors such as crash rates and costs, as well as technology costs, of Roll Stability Control (RSC) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and it compared these data to vehicles that do not use RSS technology. This study is available at ATRI’s website.

The results of ATRI’s study indicated that in addition to RSC installation costs being much lower than ESC installation costs, installation of RSC technology in trucks might result in fewer rollover and jackknife crashes when compared to trucks using ESC.

The release of this analysis is relevant, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a proposed new federal motor vehicle safety standard that would require ESC on all new tractors and certain buses that have a gross vehicle rating of 26,000 or more pounds.

FMCSA Releases Research on Benefits of Speed Limiters in Large Trucks

Benjamin Smith
Principal Technical Analyst
MSC MS

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released research this week on the benefits of using speed limiters (SLs), also known as speed governors, in large trucks. For more information, view the FMCSA's document, titled "Speed-Limiters."

SLs are a technology that allows trucking fleets or truck owners to program a preset maximum speed of travel. Many trucking fleets use SLs not only to increase safety by reducing their trucks’ top speed, but also to reduce tire wear, extend the life of the brakes and engine, improve fuel economy, and so on.

In January 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed limiting the speed of all heavy trucks to 68mph. NHTSA stated its intent to initiate the rulemaking process on this issue in 2012. Read NHTSA's notice in the Jan. 3, 2011 Federal Register.

Viewpoints differ on the issue of mandating the use of SLs in heavy trucks. Agencies and groups such as the American Trucking Associations (ATA), Road Safe America, and the Truckload Carriers Association, have stated their support for SLs in large trucks for reasons including reduced severity of crashes and various economic benefits. However, critics of government-mandated SLs, such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), have stated their opposition for reasons such as the potential for speed-governed trucks to become “rolling roadblocks” when operating in faster flows of traffic.

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health in March 2009, titled “The Effect of State Regulations on Truck-Crash Fatalities,” examines the effects of certain traffic safety policies and restrictions on fatality rates in truck-involved crashes.

FMCSA Issues Notice on New Medical Certification Requirements

Benjamin Smith
Principal Technical Analyst
MSC of MS

On January 19, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a notice to drivers holding a commercial drivers license (CDL) regarding new requirements for medical certification.

Starting on 30 January 2012, the FMCSA will require that all drivers who hold a CDL present their local state driver licensing agency with information regarding the type or types of commercial driving that they are involved with.

The commerce categories are:

• interstate excepted,
  
• interstate non-excepted,
  
• intrastate excepted,
  
• intrastate non-excepted.

Drivers who are determined by state licensing agencies to operate in one of the non-excepted categories will be required to submit a medical examiner’s certificate to their state driver licensing agency. Once this certificate is submitted, it will become part of the driver’s CDL system record. Drivers who fall into one of the “excepted” categories will not be required to provide a medical examiner’s certificate.

Drivers who fall into either non-excepted categories who fail to provide a current medical examiner’s certificate will have a status of “not certified.” The consequences of having a “not certified” status will depend on the specific regulations of the state that issued the CDL; however, in many cases, this status will result in the loss of the commercial license. For example, a driver who falls into a non-excepted category and fails to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate in Alabama will have his or her CDL cancelled. View state-by-state instructions and information.

View the FMCSA notice.

NHTSA Releases Updated Information on Motor Vehicle Crashes Occurring in 2010

Benjamin Smith
Principal Technical Analyst

MSC of MS

On December 8, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released updated fatality and injury data concerning motor vehicle crashes that occurred during 2010 (DOT HS 811 552). The most noteworthy finding was that the number of traffic fatalities fell to the lowest level since 1949. And with respect to NHTSA's findings from the previous year, the number of fatalities in 2010 dropped 2.9%. However, NHTSA found that fatalities in motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks during 2010 actually increased by 8.7% when compared to the prior year.

Viewing the updated NHTSA data from a regional perspective, and comparing data from 2010 to data from 2009, Mississippi saw an 8.4% decrease in motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2010. In Mississippi, 641 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2010, whereas 700 people were killed in traffic accidents during 2009. Louisiana saw an impressive decrease in motor vehicle traffic crash fatalities, with a 14% drop in 2010. However, Alabama saw a 1.7% increase in traffic crash fatalities, going from 848 fatalities in 2009, up to 862 fatalities in 2010.

To learn more, visit the NHTSA website.

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).

Truck-Related Fatalities Continue to Decrease

Bill Messerschmidt

Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there was a substantial decline during 2009 in the number of drivers and vehicle occupants who were killed or injured in crashes involving large trucks (i.e., trucks over 10,000 pounds).

Last month, NHTSA released an Early Edition of Traffic Safety Facts, an annual publication containing a compilation of highway crash statistics. According to the Early Edition of Traffic Safety Facts 2009, 3,380 drivers and occupants were killed in crashes with large trucks, and 74,000 drivers and occupants were injured.

Those numbers seem large until one considers that the Federal Highway Administration has estimated that large trucks traveled a staggering 288 BILLION miles on US roadways during 2009. That equals a fatality rate of 1.17 persons killed per 100 million miles of truck travel, and 25.7 persons injured per 100 million miles.

In 2009, both injuries and fatalities declined substantially from 2008, when NHTSA estimated that 4,245 people were killed and 90,000 were injured, and the fatality rate per hundred million miles was 1.37.

Check out NHTSA’s Early Edition of Traffic Safety Facts 2009.

View the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's large truck crash statistics.

Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) in Support of Legislation and Regs Mandating the Use of Electronic Logging Devices

Benjamin Smith

Principal Technical Analyst

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

The Board of Directors of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) voted to support government legislation and regulations mandating the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs), which are used by fleets to ensure compliance with hours of service (HOS) regulations and reduce inefficiencies in paperwork. This vote took place on March 13, 2011, at the Association's annual convention.

In addition to voting to support the mandatory use of ELDs, the TCA’s new policy also includes seven areas the TCA believes should be addressed when developing legislation or regulations mandating ELD use. These areas include relieving motor carriers who use compliant ELDs of the burden of retaining supporting documents for verification of driving time, as well as tax incentives as a method for helping facilitate the adoption and use of ELD systems.

Read the TCA’s press release.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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