SAE EDR SYMPOSIUM: DAY 1, SESSION 4

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The last session of a great day in Danville, Virginia, is on standards development, beginning with SAE J1698, SAE J2728, and International Standards Organization (ISO) Activity.

The first speaker is Brian Everest, speaking on the objectives of the light vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR) Standards Committee. The updated Standard will address the data, the tool, and the extraction. There are five task forces, focusing on: 1) updating the text and definitions to be current with new and future technology; 2) defining new future parameters and technologies (like brake pedal position!); 3) tamper resistance, physical integrity, and standard data retrieval communications; 4) recommended practices for any tool used for accessing the EDR; 5) ensuring data integrity.

That's a lot of beneficial work!

The next speaker is Carl Munch, speaking on test protocols for compliance with Part 563. This is the part of the committee's work that will ensure that data from EDRs are recorded and reported accurately, including synchronizing the parameters. The committee has looked at reporting of longitudinal delta v, max delta v, and time to max delta v.

The third speaker is Lee Lackey, from Noregon Systems, discussing the J2728 committee. This committee has developed the Standard for HVEDRs. There were four main groups in Tier 1, which is the first stage of the Standard: data definitions, data extraction, data file format, and event triggers. There were also groups for performance specs and survivability, which come into play more in Tier 2 than in Tier 1.

The J2728 Standard has 16 Header parameters, 1 Footer parameter, and 20 data elements. The data will be output into a CSV file that can be validated, and requires EDRs to have sufficient reserve power to write data in the event of a complete power failure. At this point, the Standard is in the final stages of meeting some requests from the NTSB.

The last speaker of the day is Joseph Marsh, from Ivy Consultancy, describing the International Standards Organization's activity with EDRs. These are under TC22 / SC 12 / WG7, the Traffic Accident Analysis Methodology group. This is mostly concerning the collection of aggregate EDR data.

This was an excellent day--very much worth the time and money. I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

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

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).

SAE EDR Symposium: Day 1, Session 2

Bill Messerschmidt
Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The second session is Passenger Car Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Event Data Recorders (EDRs). The first speaker is James Engle from Ford. His presentation is an overview of the Ford EDR systems (powertrain control module, restraint control module). He is discussing how Ford EDRs are changing to become Part 563 compliant. The most notable change from a crash investigation standpoint is that data won't be recorded on the PCM anymore.

Next speakers are from Chrysler: Lisa Fodale & James Bielenda. Ms. Fodale is describing the three phases of Chrysler EDRs (Phase 1: 2005-2007MY, Phase 2: 2008-2009MY, Phase 3: 2010-2012). She's provided a really good, succinct summary of the increasing amount of data supported in these EDRs. Mr. Beilenda provided a great segment on numerous applications of Chrysler EDRs. Both sections were great summaries of where these two manufacturers are with EDRs and Part 563 compliance.

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).

SAE EDR Symposium: Day 1, Session 1

Bill Messerschmidt

Manager
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research is an awesome facility. One really nice aspect of the room is that seating is at tables with five (comfortable) chairs. There's plenty of space, room for briefcases and backpacks, and the wifi is great! Opening comments from the Hon. Ann Ferro were delivered by video--tough to pull off, but with the technology in this building and the organizers' preparation, it came off quite well.

First speaker is Dr. Gabler from Virginia Tech. Dr. Gabler is discussing the "Big Picture" on light vehicle Event Data Recorders (EDRs). In general, the topic is how he and NHTSA are using EDR data to improve vehicle safety. It's pretty amazing, sitting here today, to think that 10 years ago Dr. Gabler was asked IF EDR data could be used for safety research. Personally, the most fascinating thing in Dr. Gabler's presentation is the use of EDR data for improving triage decisions after serious crashes.

Next speaker is Sandeep Kar. This presentation is about trends in telematics and urbanization. The topic of population growth patterns (mega cities to mega regions and mega corridors) affecting the development of new vehicle types is not a topic I've specifically thought about, but wow! There is incredible potential here for using telematics in a number of ways (including safety and compliance, but also emissions & logistics).

Third speaker is Joseph Kanianthra. Dr. Kanianthra is discussing the future of EDRs in safety. Ninety percent of primary causal factors are related to the operator: recognition errors, decision errors, erratic actions, fatigue, impairment, etc. Only 10% are primarily vehicle or roadway defect-related. The major idea of this presentation is that future injury and fatality prevention will be driven by prevention, more so than enhanced protection.

I think the moderator, John Hinch of NHTSA summed it up well: the big picture is bigger than any one person imagines.

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).

US DOT Conducts Over 3000 Surprise Passenger Carrier Safety Inspections

Benjamin Smith
Principal Technical Analyst
Messerschmidt Safety Consultants of Mississippi

The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) announced on May 27 that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and its local and state law enforcement agencies conducted over 3000 surprise passenger bus inspections during a two-week period in May. These inspections resulted in 442 out-of-service citations for 127 drivers and 315 passenger transport vehicles. Additionally, the FMCSA and state safety inspectors launched 38 full safety compliance reviews of commercial passenger bus companies.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “During this heavy summer travel season, we will remain alert and remove from our roads any passenger bus or driver that places motorists at risk.” According to the US DOT, over the last five years, the number of unannounced commercial passenger bus roadside safety inspections and carrier compliance reviews has doubled. To learn more about this, read the US DOT news release.

In an effort to reduce all commercial motor vehicle crashes, the FMCSA has developed a new safety program called Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA). CSA includes a Safety Measurement System (SMS), which uses crash data and inspection results to identify unsafe motor carrier companies, including passenger carriers. The SMS system evaluates seven different safety performance categories, or BASICs (Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories). These are: Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service), Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related, and Crash Indicator.

The US DOT estimates that passenger carriers or buses transport 750 million people each year in the US. The most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that there were 221 bus-involved fatality crashes in 2009. The number of bus-involved fatality crashes has dropped steadily since 2006, when there were 305 fatality crashes.

Photo Enforcement Helping Bring Red Light Runners to a Stop

Kelly Messerschmidt

Technical Communications Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

Because police can’t be everywhere at once, red light cameras are being used more and more to enforce motorists’ coming to a stop at red lights. In fact, studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and others have found a 40-96% reduction in the number of people running red lights at intersections using this type of photo enforcement. Watch a YouTube video about red light cameras.

The IIHS reports that, in 2009, crashes caused by red light runners resulted in 676 deaths and an estimated 130,000 injuries. Obviously, enforcing drivers’ stopping at red lights has great ramifications for public safety.

You might be surprised at just how common red light runners are. In a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety telephone survey conducted in 2010, one-third of the drivers reported having run a red light in the past 30 days—even though 93% of them said they thought doing so was unacceptable if stopping safely was an option. Other studies cited by the IIHS report that about three drivers per hour run red lights at intersections lacking the red light cameras. See how your state’s automatic enforcement laws measure up.

Contrary to what some think, red light cameras do not actually take a photo of every car driving through a particular intersection. Instead, the camera automatically photographs any car whose driver runs the red light. Red light cameras have been used for decades and have proven to be extremely accurate and reliable.

What constitutes one’s running a red light? It’s pretty simple. Running a red light is defined as the driver entering the intersection after the light has turned red. However, those who inadvertently find themselves in an intersection when the light changes to red are not considered red light runners. Who are the most likely to run a red light? An IIHS study conducted in 2009 found that red light runners were more likely to be younger (under 30), male, and have poor driving records with incidents of prior crashes, alcohol-related driving convictions, and speeding and other moving violations.

Read Q&As from IIHS about red light cameras.

SAE to Hold 2011 EDR Symposium, June 6-8

Kelly Messerschmidt

Technical Communications Manager

Messerschmidt Safety Consultants

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) will hold an Event Data Recorder (EDR) Symposium at the Institute Conference Center, in Danville, Virginia, June 6-8, 2011.

MSC’s Bill Messerschmidt will be speaking at the EDR Symposium on analyzing driver behavior using HVEDR data, during the second Unique Applications session, on June 8^th. This year’s event marks the fourth EDR Symposium held since 1999.

The SAE 2011 EDR Symposium includes 38 speakers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. These 38 speakers include university researchers, government researchers, trucking company executives and safety managers, industry engineers and executives, and consultants. Read about the speakers.

Technical sessions include Video Data Recorder applications, Standards Development, Passenger Car EDRs, International Activities, and Unique Applications.

You can learn more about the 2011 EDR Symposium at the SAE website. The links on the page include registration, travel, and exhibitor information, as well as speaker bios and descriptions of the technical sessions.