Over 290 representatives
from the Truck and Bus Industry, Research Institutions, Government Agencies
Safety Groups, Enforcement Agencies and other such organizations attended
a 3-day symposium organized by the National Safety Council in Knoxville,
Tennessee from April 3-5.
Representing the
interests of professional truckers were OOIDA President Jim Johnston,
OOIDA Director of Regulatory Affairs Rick Craig, and OOIDA Foundation
Special Projects Manager John Siebert.
Representatives
were presented with up to date industry statistics, driver perception
survey results, numerous keynote speakers (see
the text of Jim Johnston's speech) and over 50 research papers on
Driver Issues, Data Analysis, Management Issues, Enforcement Issues
and New Technology.
Various committees
were formed after the presentation of information. Jim Johnston took
part in the Enforcement Issues group, Rick Craig in the Drivers Issue
group and John Siebert in New Technology Issues group.
The participants
developed the top 10 recommendations (and an additional 14 recommendations)
which have been listed in order of priority. An action plan was developed
to disseminate the recommendations to various government agencies and
organizations.
It should be noted
that the top 10 recommendations eventually adopted by the conference
were items strongly advocated by OOIDA's representatives in their individual
committees.
International Truck
and Bus Safety Research and Policy Symposium
April 3-4-5, 2002 Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
TOP 10 RECOMMENTATIONS
1 - DRIVER ISSUES
Commercial Driver Training
The Federal government should mandate and develop standardized CMV driver
training which shall include entry-level, sustained (in-service), and
remedial training to teach the proper skills, performance, and behaviors
necessary to be a safe CMV driver.
The enforcement, industry and research communities should be consulted
for the content of this training curriculum.
2 - DRIVER ISSUES
Public Education/Training
Governmental agencies should take a proactive and aggressive stand to
promote, educate and fund programs to address the safe interactions
of commercial vehicles and the general motoring public.
This should be done in partnership with the transportation industry,
independent transportation organizations through driver education, license
testing, multimedia and public service announcements.
3 - ENFORCEMENT
ISSUES
Training
Training is an essential element of highway safety and in safety enforcement
and should include the following:
Mandatory entry level training for commercial drivers.
Public education on sharing the road with all vehicles.
Standardized training for enforcement officers.
4 - ENFORCEMENT
ISSUES
Policy Law
Commercial vehicle enforcement strategies should be evaluated to consider
inclusion of not only the driver, but others such as carriers, brokers,
shippers and receivers who may dictate or affect the driver's behavior.
Broad-based traffic enforcement is an essential element in highway safety
and should be incorporated into every vehicle safety plan whenever possible.
5 - DATA ANALYSIS
Human Factors Data
Government and industry must cooperate to make available the following
human factors data to help the motor carriers assess driver risk: employment
history, physical qualification, driver training, crash and traffic
violation history, and prior drug and alcohol records.
In addition, the following crash information is needed to assess the
driver's contribution to the crash: current employment, driver physical
condition, and driver actions.
6 - MANAGEMENT
ISSUES
High-Risk Drivers
Industry should endeavor to conduct behavioral research and driver data
analysis to identify drivers who may be exceeding reasonable parameters,
e.g.:
Incidents of hard braking
Moving violations
Complaints from public
HOS Violations
7 - MANAGEMENT
ISSUES
People Management
Improve the selection and retention of quality drivers by:
Improving data collection and access to driver employment history and
criminal history.
Monitoring performance through new technology (on board recording devices)
Enhancing benefits including incentives for good safety performance
Developing coaching guidelines to improve performance (Best Practice)
8 - NEW TECHNOLOGY
Interactive in Vehicle Technology
In order to promote the use of vehicle technology, the research community
should collaborate on standard methodology to assess distraction potential,
manufacturers should effectively integrate in-vehicle safety technology
into driver/vehicle systems, and fleets should optimize usability and
acceptability - all should work towards deployment.
9 - DRIVER ISSUES
Commercial Vehicle Parking
The research community should ID regional & local deficiencies in
available rest facilities.
The government & private sector should (based on the research) seek
methods to provide secure, safe, environmentally & economically
feasible solutions to provide drivers with an adequate amount of rest
while concurrently meeting the needs of truck companies, shippers, receivers,
& the local community.
10 - MANAGEMENT
ISSUES
Regulatory Reform (Federal, Industry)
Issue Statement: 49 CFR is in need of revision, especially
as it relates to human resources. In some instances, the rules are so
ambiguous as to: 1) create unnecessary legal and financial exposures
for the carrier, and, 2) allow carriers to use less safe drivers.
Recommendation: There needs to be a collaborative effort
between industry and FMCSA to revise the following areas of the regulations
to be very specific and efficient, allowing them to be used as tools
for improving safety:
Medical qualification
- Clearly communicate medical qualification requirements, and certify
MD's (only) to perform certification.
Drugs/alcohol
- Eliminate alcohol testing, except as directed by law enforcement,
and create a national database of positive/refused drug & alcohol
tests.
Driver qualifications
- Allow the CDL to serve as the primary indicator or qualification.
Any additional qualification requirements imposed on the carrier must
be specific and objective. (This would include any requirements for
prior employment, MVR history, prior drug and alcohol results, etc.)
To view additional
14 recommendations, go here...
