Category: Automatic Braking
- 79% said they favor this requirement,
- 45% strongly favor it,
- Only 13% oppose it.
- 82% of voters favor AEB,
- 50% strongly favor it,
- Just 9% oppose it.
- Truck crash fatalities increased by 41 percent nationally from 2009-2017, with 44 states experiencing increases in truck crash deaths during this period,
- The number of children (ages 14 and younger) killed in large truck crashes rose by 20 percent,
- The number of truck occupants killed rose by 69 percent, resulting in the highest number of large truck occupants killed since 1989,
- Crashes in which a large truck rear-ended a passenger vehicle increased by 82 percent from 2009 to 2016 (the most recent year of available data for this crash subset),
- 30 percent of all fatal work zone crashes involved at least one large truck in 2017.
National Work Zone Awareness Week: Truck Safety Coalition (TSC) Remembers Those Killed in Work Zone Crashes Involving a Large Truck; Families Call for Action to Support Automatic Emergency Braking in All Large Trucks and Oppose Teenage Truckers Operating Across State Lines
Arlington, VA – This National Work Zone Awareness Week, our volunteers remember their loved ones who were killed in fatal work zone crashes involving large trucks and impress upon Congress and the Administration to utilize research based policies to address these preventable deaths. Big rigs are grossly overrepresented in these types of crashes, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determining that 30 percent of fatal work zone crashes involved at least one large truck in 2017. This is unacceptable, especially as equipping automatic emergency braking (AEB) remains optional for large trucks even though there is resounding evidence that supports their use.
Amy Fletcher, a TSC volunteer from Ohio whose husband, was killed in a construction zone, noted, “Work zone safety and truck safety go hand-in-hand. After losing my husband, John, on January 24, 2012, I resolved to address the overrepresentation of large trucks in fatal work zone crashes. By requiring trucks to have AEB, our lawmakers can address fatal truck crashes like the one that killed John and injured two other highway workers. It would also show the men and women who do essential jobs outside of office settings, like construction workers and police officers, that their safety and well-being on the job is more important than a next-day delivery.”
Ed Slattery, a Board Member of Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT), whose wife, Susan, was killed and his two sons seriously injured in a work zone crash involving a triple tractor trailer on the Ohio Turnpike stated, “The truck driver in my family’s crash happened to be fatigued, but we need to be able to address any and all instances where a truck driver does not apply the brakes, whether it is distraction, drug-use, or some other reason. AEB can help with that by first warning the truck driver with an audio or visual alert before partially applying brakes and then eventually fully applying the brakes if the driver does not respond. In my family’s crash, AEB could have made the difference.”
“Unfortunately, there has not been a single bill introduced in this session of Congress that would require all large trucks to have this technology even though NHTSA reported that approximately half of new passenger vehicles manufactured since 2017 were voluntarily equipped with AEB” Slattery continued. “Instead, some members of Congress have introduced legislation that would require the use of AEB only in trucks operated across state lines by 19 and 20 year olds. This is illogical. For one, the bill’s authors tacitly acknowledge that technologies, like AEB, are effective at improving the operational safety of trucks; so, instead of limiting it to the most dangerous demographic, they should support AEB in all trucks – regardless of the driver’s age. Moreover, the motivation for lowering the entry-age for interstate trucking is based on the erroneous claim that there is a truck driver shortage. Yet, in March of this year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that ‘the occupation of truck driving is often portrayed by the industry and in the popular press as beset by high levels of turnover and persistent “labor shortages”… [But] a deeper look does not find evidence of a secular shortage.’
Pam Biddle, whose son, Aaron, was killed in Indiana after a truck driver approached highway traffic that was stopped due to another semi-truck incident, failed to slow in time, and fatally crashed into the vehicle her son was riding in – killing all three occupants and himself– reiterated the effectiveness of AEB in large trucks and the dangers of teen truckers: “Enough is enough. I am angry that lawmakers from the state where my son was needlessly killed are pushing policies that will make trucking and our roads less safe, while ignoring the data that tells them this as well as ignoring the solutions that would actually improve safety.”
“Senator Todd Young and Representative Trey Hollingsworth are leading an effort in Congress to allow teenage truckers to operate across state lines despite the fact that their own state of Indiana noted in its FY 2018 Highway Safety Plan (submitted to NHTSA) that “In 2015, young drivers (ages 15 to 20 years old) had the highest involvement in fatal collisions and highest rate of drivers killed per 100,000 licensed drivers of any age group (3.4, compared to 3.2 for drivers’ ages 21 to 24 years and 2.8 for drivers’ ages 25 to 44 years)… [and that] this age group also has the highest percentage of engaging in distracted driving during a collision (4.7, compared to 4.0 ages 21 to 24, 3.1 ages 25-44, and less than 2.5 for those who are 45 and older),” Mrs. Biddle noted. “Their own State’s data shows younger drivers pose a higher safety risk behind the wheel of passenger vehicles, which we all know are much less difficult to operate than an 80,000 lbs. truck, so on its face this seems like a bad idea. Including provisions that would restrict younger truckers to vehicles with AEB seems like a Beltway trick to make a giveaway to few big motor carriers sound more appealing to folks concerned with safety. It is not. Rather than treating the technology that could have saved my son’s life as some cynical bargaining chip to offset the anticipated risk of cheaper labor for big companies, I hope they reconsider their support for this misguided measure and instead work with families like mine to help proliferate AEB throughout the trucking fleet in the United States, regardless of the age of the driver.”
Contact: Beth Weaver, beth_weaver@verizon.net | 301.814.4088
Group Letter to Congress on Automatic Emergency Braking and Speed Limiters
January 29, 2019
Dear Representative:
Imagine if there were solutions that could help save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries each year resulting from large truck crashes on America’s highways.
There are.
Our large and growing coalition writes to inform you about two solutions to highway crashes and deaths involving large trucks: Heavy vehicle speed limiters and automatic emergency braking (AEB).
As you may be aware, recently released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that truck crashes, and the resulting injuries and deaths, continue to increase year after year despite the fact that total truck vehicle miles traveled has effectively remained stagnant since 2009.
Yet, these dire trends are not irreversible. Proven solutions, like speed limiters and automatic emergency braking, are available today but their use is still not required by law.
SURVEY SHOWS AMERICANS STRONGLY SUPPORT TRUCK SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
A national survey conducted by McLaughlin & Associates in September of 2018 shows strong support across all political, geographic and demographic groups for Congressional action requiring the use of speed limiting and automatic braking technologies in large trucks in the United States.
When voters were asked whether they favor or oppose Congress requiring large trucks to have their speed limiters set at a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour:
When voters were asked whether they favor or oppose Congress requiring large trucks to use AEB:
THE FACTS SUPPORT ACTION
Recently released results from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) confirm that truck safety in the United States has drastically declined from 2009 to 2017 (the most recent year of available data):
These statistics paint a grim picture: truck safety is getting worse across the board. As lawmakers, you cannot allow another year to pass and even more people to die or be injured in large truck crashes without taking action. These folks are not just statistics nor are they just your constituents; they are our mothers, fathers, siblings, children, and members of the community who should be able to safely share the road with large trucks.
OTHER COUNTRIES REQUIRE THESE LIFE-SAVING TECHNOLOGIES ON LARGE TRUCKS TO GREAT EFFECT
Dozens of other leading countries, like Japan, Australia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, have required the use of these technologies because they determined doing so would make them safer. In fact, many of those countries have experienced reductions in the number of annual truck crash fatalities and not one has reversed their decision.
The European Union (EU), for example, requires large trucks to be equipped with and use both speed limiters (since 1992) and AEB (since 2012). And unlike our country, the EU has seen truck safety improve. From 2009 to 2016, the last year of comparable data, the European Union experienced a 20 percent decrease in the number truck crash deaths, while U.S. truck crash fatalities shot up 29 percent.
THERE IS AMPLE RESEARCH SUPPORTING THE SAFE, SUCCESSFUL USE OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES
Speed limiters have been standard in most heavy commercial trucks since the mid-1990s, and numerous analyses have found them to be quite effective. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s own road-based study found that trucks not using their speed limiters had a significantly higher highway-speed crash rate (approximately 200%) compared to trucks using speed limiters. A more recent study from the Province of Ontario found that the incidence of heavy trucks’ speeding leading to a highway crash dropped 73 percent following implementation of the province’s speed limiter rule at 65 mph in 2009. They also had a 24% drop in fatalities in all heavy truck-involved collisions. Additionally, the Ontario study directly debunked the claim that speed differentials would lead to an increase in overall crashes involving big rigs, finding no evidence of such an increase at all.
With regards to automatic emergency braking, NHTSA estimates that current generation AEB systems can prevent more than 2,500 crashes each year. The agency also found that 166 people will unnecessarily die, and another 8,000 individuals will suffer serious injuries every year a full implementation of AEB is delayed.
The data from trucking companies corroborates these findings. A major trucking company experienced a 69 percent decrease in rear-end crashes and 95 percent reduction in rear-end collision claims since it began equipping all new tractors with OnGuard Collision Mitigation Systems in 2012, and another major motor carrier saw their number of rear-end collisions decrease by nearly 80 percent from 2003 to 2015 after equipping their fleet with an active system of collision avoidance and mitigation. Likewise, a third company saw a 71 percent reduction in rear-end collisions and a 63 percent decrease in unsafe following behaviors in their trucks equipped with AEB as well as electronic stability control and lane departure warning compared to their trucks without these safety systems.
We urge you to reflect on the rising number of truck crash deaths and recognize that it is time to require the use of sensible, existing safety solutions. The EU mandated both of these technologies years ago and now experiences fewer truck crash fatalities than the United States. Congress should not stand by silently as proven solutions for improving truck safety are readily available yet inexplicably not yet required in our country.
We look forward to working with you to pass life-saving legislation that will require all big-rig trucks to use speed limiters and automatic emergency braking.
Sincerely,
| Steve Owings, Co-Founder
Road Safe America
Harry Adler, Executive Director Truck Safety Coalition
Sally Greenberg, Executive Director National Consumers League
Caron Whitaker, Director, Bike Walk Action The League of American Bicyclists
Marco Conner, Co-Deputy Director Transportation Alternatives
Elliott Caldwell, Executive Director Georgia Bikes
Melissa Wandall, President National Coalition for Safer Roads
Daphne Izer Co-Founder, Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT)
Dawn King Davisburg, MI President, Truck Safety Coalition Board Member, CRASH Daughter of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04
Jane Mathis St. Augustine, FL Vice President, TSC Board Member, PATT Mother of David Mathis Mother-in-Law of Mary Kathryn Mathis Killed in a truck crash 3/25/04
Peter Malarczyk Hastings-on-Hudson, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 12/29/15 Son of Ryszard and Anita Malarczyk Killed in a truck crash 12/29/15
Santiago Calderon Arcata, CA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 4/10/14
Monica Malarczyk Hastings-on-Hudson, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 12/29/15 Son of Ryszard and Anita Malarczyk Killed in a truck crash 12/29/15
Michelle Lemus Los Angeles, CA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 4/10/14
Linda Wilburn Weatherford, OK Board Member, PATT Mother of Orbie Wilburn Killed in a truck crash 9/2/02
Larry Liberatore Severn, MD Board Member, PATT Father of Nick Liberatore Killed in a truck crash 6/9/97
Vickie Johnson Hartwell, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of Curt Johnson, Step-mother of Crystal Johnson Killed in a truck crash 10/1/2009
Beth Badger Columbus, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Daughter of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04
Vincent Laubach Reno, NV Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Truck Crash Survivor
Paul Badger Davidson, NC Son of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04
Gary Wilburn Weatherford, OK Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Orbie Wilburn Killed in a truck crash 9/2/02
Tami Friedrich Trakh Corona, CA Board Member, CRASH Sister of Kris Mercurio, Sister-in-Law of Alan Mercurio, Aunt of Brandie Rooker & Anthony Mercurio Killed in a truck crash 12/27/89
Debra Cruz Harlingen, TX Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 8/8/2008
Tina Silva Ontario, CA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Sister of Kris Mercurio, Sister-in-Law of Alan Mercurio, Aunt of Brandie Rooker & Anthony Mercurio Killed in a truck crash 12/27/89
Kathleen Laubach Reno, NV Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Truck Crash Survivor
Bruce King Davisburg, MI Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son-in-law of Bill Badger Killed in truck crash 12/23/04
Laurie Higginbotham Memphis, TN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14
Kim Telep Harrisburg, PA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of Bradley Telep Killed in a truck crash 8/29/12 |
Catherine Chase, President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
Jason Levine, Executive Director Center for Auto Safety
Janette Fennell, Founder and President KidsAndCars.org
Gary Smith, President Child Injury Prevention Alliance
Sally Flocks, President & CEO Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety (PEDS)
Wanda Lindsay, Founder The John Lindsay Foundation
Jennifer Tierney, Board Member Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) Foundation
Ron Wood Washington, D.C. Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son of Betsy Wood, Brother of Lisa Wood Martin, Uncle of Chance, Brock, and Reid Martin Killed in a truck crash 9/20/04
Julie Branon Magnan South Burlington, VT Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 01/31/02 Wife of David Magnan Killed in a truck crash 01/31/02
Amy Fletcher Perrysburg, OH Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of John Fletcher Killed in a truck crash 1/24/12
Kate Brown Gurnee, IL Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Graham Brown Injured in a truck crash 5/2/05
Christina Mahaney Jackman, ME Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 7/19/2011 Mother of Liam Mahaney Killed in a truck crash 7/19/2011
Steve Izer Lisbon, ME Board Member, PATT Father of Jeff Izer Killed in a truck crash 10/10/93 Sandra Lance Chesterfield, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Kristen Belair Killed in a truck crash 8/26/2009
Bernadette Fox Davis, CA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Best friend of Daniel McGuire Killed in a truck crash 7/10/2014
Alan Dana Plattsburgh, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Son of Janet Dana, Uncle of Caitlyn & Lauryn Dana, Brother-in-law of Laurie Dana Killed in a truck crash 7/19/12
Nancy Meuleners Bloomington, MN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 12/19/89
Frank Wood Falls Church, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Dana Wood Killed in a truck crash 10/15/02
Morgan Lake Sunderland, MD Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Injured in a truck crash 7/19/13
Ashley McMillan Memphis,TN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Girlfriend of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14
Michelle Novak Delevan, NY Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Aunt of Charles “Chuck” Novak Killed in a truck crash 10/24/10 Jackie Novak Hendersonville, NC Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Charles “Chuck” Novak Killed in a truck crash 10/24/10
Ed Slattery Lutherville, MD Board Member, PATT Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Husband of Susan Slattery Killed in a truck crash 8/16/10 Sons Matthew & Peter Slattery critically injured
Marc Johnson Hartwell, GA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Brother of Curt Johnson Killed in truck crash 10/1/2009
Melissa Gouge Washington, D.C. Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Cousin of Amy Corbin Killed in a truck crash 8/18/97
Marchelle Wood Falls Church, VA Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Mother of Dana Wood Killed in a truck crash 10/15/02
Randall Higginbotham Memphis, TN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Father of Michael Higginbotham Killed in a truck crash, 11/18/14
Cindy Southern Cleveland, TN Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition Wife of James Whitaker, sister-in-law Anthony Hixon and aunt of Amber Hixon Killed in a truck crash 9/18/09 |
National Survey Shows Strong Support for Mandating Speed Limiters and Automatic Emergency Braking on All Large Trucks
CONTACT: Beth Weaver, 301-814-4088
Arlington, VA (October 25, 2018): The Truck Safety Coalition, which is a partnership between Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) and Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT), welcomes the results of a national survey conducted by McLaughlin Group revealing overwhelming public support – 79 percent and 82 percent, respectively – for Congress mandating the use of speed limiters and automatic emergency braking on all large trucks. Despite long-term, successful use by leading trucking companies and ample data demonstrating the safety benefits of these technologies, rulemakings that would require them have languished and legislators have failed to take actions that would ensure their finalization.
Survey results available: www.roadsafe.org.
Linda Wilburn, a PATT board member said, “Following our son Orbie’s fatal crash, caused by a speeding truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel, my husband, Gary, and I resolved to address the preventable issues that contributed to his death. Speed limiters and automatic emergency braking are solutions that could have prevented his crash or, at the very least, mitigated the severity it. Unfortunately, neither were required back then – 16 years ago – and both remain voluntary to this day. I am hopeful that this resounding public support for speed limiters and AEB will motivate Congress to act swiftly to pass a legislative mandate requiring both technologies on large trucks.”
Rick Watts, a TSC volunteer from Tennessee who lost his wife, Tiffany, his stepdaughters, Kelsie and Savannah Garrigues, and his mother in law, Sharon Anderson, in a crash involving a speeding truck driver that failed to stop in time, was encouraged by the results of the survey: “Limiting the ability of truck drivers to operate at excessive speeds will reduce the likelihood that big rig drivers will be unable to stop in time or unable to control their vehicle. This is not just commonsense; the data confirms it. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who is partially responsible for finalizing the heavy vehicle speed limiter rule, found that trucks equipped with speed limiters were nearly 50 percent less likely to be involved in a crash than trucks without speed limiters. An even more recent study conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation found that speed-related, at-fault truck crashes fell by 73 percent after mandatory speed limiter use took effect there. These compelling figures coupled with the public consensus in support of a speed limiter mandate should make finalizing this rule a top priority in Congress.”
John Lannen, Executive Director of the Truck Safety Coalition added, “Lawmakers need to take stronger action to reverse the rising number of truck crashes, and resulting injuries and deaths. With a truck rear-ending a passenger vehicle every fifteen minutes in the U.S. and 30 percent of all fatal work zone crashes involving at least one large truck, there is a clear need to address crashes wherein the truck driver fails to stop in time. In work zone areas and when traffic is significantly slowed or at a complete stop, cars are particularly vulnerable to being rear ended by large trucks. As you can imagine, construction workers, police officers, and children who occupy the second and third rows of cars are all too often the victims in these types of crashes. This is why it is imperative that Congress passes a law requiring AEB technology in all large trucks.”
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Automatic Emergency Braking
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) technology is a proven highway safety technology that could and will save countless lives and prevent injuries. Unfortunately, after years of study and successful use by leading motor carriers, this technology has yet to be required for commercial motor vehicles. As the public endures continued delays to require equipment that is readily available, families across the nation have had to pay the ultimate price.
In order to prevent these needless deaths and injuries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should mandate AEB technology on all large trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more. While the agency granted the petition submitted on February 19, 2015 by the Truck Safety Coalition, Road Safe America, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Center for Auto Safety this past October, action is long overdue and we call on NHTSA to produce a final rule.
NHTSA estimates that current generation AEB systems can prevent more than 2,500 crashes each year and that future generation systems could prevent more than 6,300 crashes annually. Every year a full implementation of AEB is delayed, research estimates that 166 people will unnecessarily die and another 8,000 individuals will suffer serious injuries. In a September 2018 study, the NHTSA found that AEB systems have an incremental cost to the end user of $70.80-$316.18.
To save these lives, prevent injuries, reduce costs, and ensure families remain whole, we call on Congress to immediately mandate AEB technology in all large trucks by passing H.R. 3773, the Safe Roads Act. To get involved in this effort, we invite you to send a message to your Senators and Representative to educate them about the benefits of requiring this technology in the heaviest vehicles on our roads.
Links to More Information on Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) in Large Trucks:
Government
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
The Use of Forward Collision Avoidance Systems to Prevent and Mitigate Rear-End Crashes
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
Incomplete (Due September 2018) – Research and Testing to Accelerate the Adoption of Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Systems in Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMVs)
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Vehicle Ramming Attacks: Threat Landscapes, Indicators, and Countermeasures
Federal Register
AEB Manufacturers
Meritor Wabco
OnGuardACTIVETM Collision Mitigation System
Meritor WABCO’s OnGuard™ Collision Mitigation System Marks 10th Anniversary
Bendix
Bendix Continues Ongoing Commitment to the Improvement of Highway Safety
Detroit (A Daimler Subsidiary)
AEB is Standard on some of the most popular truck models:
Mack Anthem, and
Research on Effectiveness of AEB
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
Optimizing Large Vehicles for Urban Environments: ADAS
SAE International
Effectiveness of a Current Commercial Vehicle Forward Collision Avoidance and Mitigation Systems
NHTSA HEAVY VEHICLE CRASH AVOIDANCE RESEARCH OVERVIEW
UMTRI
Shiny-side Up: Advanced Crash Avoidance Technologies That Can Reduce Heavy Truck Crashes
Performance Characterization and Safety Effectiveness Estimates of Forward Collision Avoidance and Mitigation Systems for Medium/Heavy Commercial Vehicle
Media
Forbes
Automatic Braking In Trucks Will Lag Cars By Years
Commercial Carrier Journal
Emergency braking an area where trucking can lead 4-wheeler technology
Trailer-BodyBuilders.com
Meritor Wabco Collision Mitigation System Improves Safety: Study
Reuters
VW to step up spending on automated truck technology
Deutsche Welle
Automatic brakes stopped Berlin truck during Christmas market attack
TRUCKS.COM
Safety Groups Respond to U.S. DOT IG Rubber Stamping Study on Truck Driver Hours of Service Safety Protections
Study Created with Pre-Determined Outcome of Failure
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Late last week, the Office of the Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) sent a letter to Congress regarding a study of safety reforms to the truck driver hours of service (HOS) rules. By sending this letter, the IG essentially gives the imprimatur of this well-respected office to a study that was set up for failure at the onset and will ultimately result in the continuation of the widespread industry problem of truck driver fatigue. Parameters of the study and what it was charged with finding were widely attributed to being crafted by corporate trucking interests in an effort to undue safety reforms which took effect in 2013. While the IG may have signed off that the study was carried out as mandated by Congress, the IG did not assess the underlying data used. Rather, the IG simply “rubber stamped” that the “junk science” study checked off all the boxes required by Congress when it created the study.
As part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill, corporate trucking interests and their friends in Congress inserted legislative language that suspended enforcement of the 2013 HOS reforms until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) completed further study on the effectiveness of the provisions. Concerned that the study would not produce results favorable to their agenda, these same interests inserted additional language into the FY 2016 THUD bill which raised the bar on what the study had to find. This backroom industry rewrite all but guaranteed the preordained outcome that was realized today. These policy provisions were inserted to a funding bill behind closed doors without any public input. Further, they belie decades of irrefutable data that shows that driver fatigue is a serious safety problem within the trucking industry. “When I began advocating for truck safety after a truck driver fell asleep while driving and killed my son Jeff, I never thought I would still be fighting on the issue of fatigue more than two decades later,” said Daphne Izer, Co-Founder of Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT), “Truck drivers should not be forced to drive and work such grueling schedules, and the public should not be subjected to the risk that tired truckers pose to all road users.”
The study, while yet to be made available for public review, could have only examined 15 months of data as the Obama reforms went into effect in July of 2013 and were suspended at the behest of the certain segments of the trucking industry in December of 2014. The fact that the study was fatally flawed from the start and reached such a dubious conclusion is totally unsurprising. “This study does nothing to shed light on the serious problem of truck driver fatigue,” said Jackie Gillan, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “But, it does shed light on the power of special trucking interests to run to their friends in Congress and repeal important health and safety rules. Sadly, the U.S. DOT IG has become yet another political pawn in this tortured process.”
Common sense and real world experience clearly show that truck driver fatigue is a serious and pervasive safety problem, no matter how much special trucking interests wish to believe otherwise. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has repeatedly cited fatigue as a major contributor to truck crashes and included reducing fatigue related crashes on the 2017-18 Most Wanted List of safety changes. In addition, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine has warned that drowsy driving can have the same consequences as driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. “Since 2009, truck crashes have shot up by 45 percent, resulting in a 20 percent increase in truck crash fatalities and a 57 percent increase in truck crash injuries,” stated John Lannen, Executive Director of the Truck Safety Coalition. “Instead of focusing on requiring crash avoidance technologies in large trucks that would have actually reduced crashes, FMCSA was forced to spend time and money conducting an ill-conceived study based on flawed data.”
While high profile crashes like the one that killed comedian James McNair and seriously injured Tracy Morgan grab national headlines, fatigue-related crashes happen to families all over the country every day. Until leaders in Congress are willing to face the real facts about truck driver fatigue, far too many Americans will continue to be needlessly killed by tired truckers.
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Jennifer Tierney: Congress must stop ignoring truck safety
For more than 30 years, I have been advocating to make trucking safer, since my father, James Mooney, was killed in a large truck crash in 1983. He was driving on a dark rural road at a time when truck conspicuity was hardly a consideration, and his car rode under the truck trailer that was blocking the roadway. While my advocacy helped lead to a requirement for reflective tape on truck trailers, there are still too many preventable truck crashes.
When I read that a tanker truck hauling non-dairy creamer overturned on I-40 in Forsyth County earlier this month, I was thankful that no one was hurt. Then I found out that the truck driver admitted to falling asleep at the wheel before overturning. I was outraged.
The number of truck crashes is continuing to rise, increasing 45 percent since 2009. Yet for the past three years, Congress has passed legislation permitting truck drivers to work more than 80 hours per week, amongst other corporate handouts that will not reduce the amount of truck crashes.
Requiring automatic emergency braking on trucks and mandating side underride guards on trailers are commonsense solutions that will reduce the number of truck crashes, injuries and fatalities. None of these changes, however, were included in the FAST Act or in the accompanying appropriations bill.
Congress should pass legislation requiring all trucks to be equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB). This technology will be standard on all new cars in the United States by 2022, and a requirement for it was passed in the European Union in 2012. AEB works by applying the brakes in the event that the truck driver fails to apply the brakes, like if a driver falls asleep behind the wheel.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that forward collision avoidance and mitigation and lane departure warning systems can address 1 out of 4 heavy vehicle involved crashes. Moreover, crash records from motor carriers were examined after some of their fleet was equipped with forward collision avoidance and mitigation systems, and the results were consistent. Trucks without this technology were more than twice as likely to be the striking vehicle in a rear-end crash than trucks with the system.
Unfortunately, Congress has done little to require this technology, while prioritizing efforts to increase the length of double tractor-trailers, which will take even longer to stop than existing double configurations. When Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia offered a bill mandating automatic emergency braking, it died in subcommittee; he subsequently offered it as an amendment to a larger bill to no avail. Some opponents of this technology claimed it might not be effective in reducing crashes, despite ample evidence that it does, while others claimed that AEB would hurt small business because of the costs of technology.
Yet when certain large trucking companies wanted “Double 33” trailers, the language was inserted into a must-pass bill. The opponents who decried the cost of AEB said nothing of the fact that increasing the size of double tractor-trailers would force many smaller companies to upgrade their fleets to remain competitive with larger trucking companies. As with past size and weight increases, there are two things we can anticipate: 1) it will not result in fewer trucks, and 2) shippers will hire companies with the maximum shipping capabilities. This means that small companies will be forced to buy new 33-foot trailers to replace their existing single 53-foot trailers or double 28-foot trailers. New trailers cost thousands of dollars.
It is also frustrating that there are lawmakers who are ready to increase the length of double trailers by five feet per trailer, even though existing trailers have a long recognized safety issue — a lack of side underride guards. While the European Union has required these life-saving protections on trailers for decades, the United States does not and shows no signs of doing so anytime soon. So, increasing double tractor-trailers from 28-feet per trailer to 33-feet per trailer not only results in an additional 22 feet of braking distance and a 6-foot wider turning radius but also 10 more feet of exposed area underneath the trailer.
Improving underride protections would save lives and prevent injuries resulting from truck crashes. Without these protections, bicyclists and pedestrians are at risk of traveling under trailers. Motorists, like my father who was killed in an underride crash, are also at risk of death or injury as underride collisions bypass crumple zones, prevent airbag deployment, and cause passenger compartment intrusion.
I am hopeful that members of Congress will recognize that despite all of their differences, they all represent a state or a district that has constituents who have been adversely affected by truck crashes. They need to be more interested in public safety rather than private interests. Passing a bill requiring automatic emergency braking on trucks and side underride guards on trailers will do just that. Requiring longer trucks that will only benefit a handful of large motor carriers, and will be more difficult for truck drivers to operate, will not.
Debra Cruz Letter to the Editor – The Monitor
After I survived a truck crash on Aug. 8, 2008, one of my goals became to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck crashes. Eventually, I began volunteering for the Truck Safety Coalition, a non-profit organization consisting of families of truck crash victims and survivors who also shared in my goal. Since then, I have been able to speak to the public and policy makers about ways to make trucking safer for everyone.
When I heard that state lawmakers were considering increasing truck weights, and that federal lawmakers might consider increasing truck-trailer lengths, I was compelled to speak out against both of these policies, which are premised on a false promise of fewer trucks. The fact remains: The number of trucks on our roads has increased following every past size and weight increase.
Allowing even heavier trucks will further damage our crumbling infrastructure, in particular — bridges, which our state has more of than any other state. Permitting Double 33s will also not enhance safety. In addition to elongating existing double configurations by 10 feet, Double 33s also take longer to break, have a wider turning radius, and are more likely to off-track at low speeds. In short, both policies will not make trucking safer, especially at time when trends indicate truck safety is in decline.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released figures for 2015 that shows there were 4,067 truck fatalities — a 20 percent increase since 2009. In Texas, the trends in truck safety are even more troubling. Between 1994 and 2015, the past four years have been the deadliest with regards to truck crashes.
Clearly, we need to be doing more to prevent truck crashes.
I have been meeting with elected officials in Texas to discuss my crash, in which my vehicle was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, about how we can work together to make trucking safer. Had the truck in my crash been equipped with automatic emergency braking, I might not have written this letter, or sustained life-long brain injuries.
Debra Cruz, Truck Safety Coalition, Harlingen
Link: http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/letters/article_b2380214-f4a9-11e6-a76f-d352f30ef392.html
Letter to the editor: Trucks need two safety fixes to prevent highway fatalities
I was devastated to hear about the recent truck crash in which a 5-year-old boy and his volunteer driver were killed on the Maine Turnpike.
As a mother who lost her son in a truck crash, I know the pain and grief the families are going through; my thoughts are with them and will be as they learn to cope with such devastating losses.
As an advocate for truck safety, however, I am angry because this crash, and the fatalities it caused, could have been avoided by requiring two common-sense improvements on large trucks: stronger rear underride guards and automatic emergency braking.
Underride crashes have been identified as a problem dating back to the 1950s. Since that time, the government has required a woefully inadequate and antiquated standard that many times renders useless a car’s protections, like airbag deployment and a crumple zone. Consequently, there is passenger compartment intrusion, which results in truly horrific crashes, like this one.
Automatic emergency braking is a much newer solution than underride guards for reducing truck crashes, but the technology is being developed and employed rapidly. In fact, all major car companies will require automatic emergency braking by 2022. There is no reason why trucks, which take much longer to stop than cars, should not be equipped with it, too.
Daphne Izer
founder and co-chair, Parents Against Tired Truckers
Letter to Secretary Foxx from Rick Watts
The Honorable Anthony Foxx
Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Secretary Foxx:
Today, I sat through the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meeting as they determined the probable cause of and adopted a report on the truck crash that killed my wife, Tiffany, my mother-in-law, Sandra Anderson, and my step-daughters, Kelsie and Savannah. As I listened to the NTSB staff present the report findings, my sorrow, anger and frustration grew at the painful reminder of how avoidable this crash was and how little your Department is doing to promote policies and adopt regulations that could have prevented it. The lack of urgency, the delays in issuing regulations and the inadequate oversight of the motor carrier industry are just a few of the major problems plaguing the Department.
My family was killed in a work zone truck crash near Chattanooga in June 2015. At the meeting today, the NTSB determined that there were no mechanical issues with any of the nine vehicles involved, weather was not a contributing factor, and there were ample visual cues to alert the truck driver of the impending work zone and traffic. Unfortunately, the truck driver far exceeded the legal limit on hours of service (HOS) leading up to the crash, was under the influence of narcotics, and was speeding – traveling approximately 80 mph which was well above the posted limit of 55 mph. These factors greatly diminished his ability to operate safely and, ultimately, resulted in his truck hitting seven vehicles and traveling 453 feet from the initial impact area to its final rest position. Six people were killed and four more were injured. Worse yet, all of these factors were completely preventable with known and proven solutions, many of which have been previously recommended by the NTSB.
The rapidly rising number of truck crashes, fatalities and injuries is a clear indicator that the Department of Transportation has a double standard for safety. In 2009, there were 286,000 truck crashes; by 2014 that number shot up to 411,000 – a 44 percent increase. From 2009 to 2014, there was a 50 percent increase in truck crash injuries. From 2009 to 2015, there was a 20 percent increase in truck crash fatalities, which resulted in deaths exceeding 4,000 for the first time since 2008. Yet, your Department has adopted a standard of zero tolerance for commercial airplane crashes and achieved that goal for seven years now.
Considering these facts, I urge the Department to take immediate action and make truck safety your priority. One of the most important steps is to commence a rulemaking requiring crash avoidance technologies as standard equipment on all large trucks. Using this proven, life-saving technology will reduce the number of truck crashes and increase the number of lives saved and injuries prevented. According to one estimate by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), current generation automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems can prevent more than 2,500 crashes each year and future generation systems could prevent more than 6,300 crashes annually. Yet, NHTSA has still not initiated any rulemakings requiring AEB.
Additionally, the agency is working to complete a rulemaking to update a 20-year-old underride guard standard with one that will have little impact in advancing safety. Right now 93 percent of trailers sold in the United States already meet or exceed the proposed, ten-year-old, Canadian standard. Likewise, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has done little to increase the minimum levels of financial responsibility for motor carriers, which has not been raised in 35 years. This is particularly infuriating to victims like me because the Secretary is empowered to raise the woefully inadequate minimum insurance requirement. Instead, this agency is more concerned with appeasing members of the trucking industry by creating a crash weighting determination process, which will be burdensome, costly, and unnecessary while it does little, if anything at all, to improve prediction of crash risk.
The DOT has also failed to meet deadlines required by Congress that could have ensured that my wife, her mother, and two daughters were not killed. Even though your Department was mandated to promulgate a final rule for a Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for commercial drivers by October of 2014, one has still not been produced. In those two years, the truck driver who caused the crash was twice charged with possession of methamphetamine, once for a previous incident and once after causing the crash.
I, along with thousands of other families who have suffered the loss of a loved one in a speeding truck crash, am also waiting for the long overdue heavy vehicle speed limiter rule, which has been delayed nearly thirty times over the span of ten years. While NHTSA has released a notice of proposed rulemaking, it is exceedingly weak and it would be preposterous for the rule to only apply to new trucks considering this technology has been a standard capability in most trucks since the 1990s.
We urge you to use your remaining time of 4 months as Secretary to direct NHTSA and FMCSA to issue regulations that will make trucking safer for all of us sharing the road — truck drivers, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. We also urge you to oppose any efforts in Congress to attack the HOS rule in the government spending bill.
Requiring AEB on all new large trucks, issuing a strong rear and side underride guard rule, and raising the minimum levels of insurance to levels appropriate in 2016 are urgently needed now. This could be the difference between directing a Department that stood by and allowed truck crash deaths to exceed 4,000 for the first time in eight years, or implementing real solutions to real problems that affect real people like me.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to receiving your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Rick Watts
Morristown, TN
Volunteer, Truck Safety Coalition
Husband of Tiffany Watts,
Son-in-Law of Sandra Anderson,
Step-father of Kelsie and Savannah Garrigues
Killed in a truck crash 6/25/15
Maine Voices: Sen. Collins needs to change her position on trucking safety rules
As summer winds down, it is time to reflect on the safety of our roads and the hundreds of loved ones across the country who were needlessly killed or injured in truck crashes over the past few months. Our sons were killed in crashes caused by tired truckers. They were two of the nearly 4,000 people who die each year in truck crashes, many of which are preventable. Another 100,000 people are seriously injured.
Since the tragic deaths of our sons, our mission has been devoted to preventing this tragedy from happening to others by promoting common-sense safety solutions. Yet, one of our own U.S. senators, Susan Collins, continues to thwart our efforts to improve truck safety for families in Maine and across the country.
For the past few years, Sen. Collins has been the flag-bearer for trucking interests seeking to undermine and undo safety rules. From her powerful seat as chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that is responsible for determining spending levels for federal transportation programs, she has continually provided special access and favors to trucking interests.
For example, she single-mindedly sought to stop federal rules issued in 2013 on the number of driving and resting hours for truck drivers. Although truck driver fatigue is a well-documented and major cause of truck crashes, she just won’t stop.
After her previous attempts to kill off the federal safety rule on rest time for truck drivers fell short of her goal, she decided to take another approach. Instead of allowing the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct an open and public rulemaking for a regulation based on research and science, she opted to write the rule herself.
Of course, she did it behind closed doors with the help of her trucking friends. When families of truck crash victims and safety groups objected and opposed her safety assaults, she resorts to questioning our motives. Does this behavior sound familiar from a politician in the news these days?
Several weeks ago, Sen. Collins announced in a Washington Post op-ed reprinted in this newspaper that she will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. One of the reasons she cites is his criticism of the grieving parents of Army Capt. Humayun Khan, which she found unacceptable. Yet she is quick to criticize grieving parents who have lost children in truck crashes because we won’t be silenced and have the audacity to challenge her efforts to set back safety on behalf of special trucking interests.
The senator complained earlier this year in media interviews that safety groups were ignoring other provisions recently passed in Congress mandating federal rules forspeed-limiting devices on large trucks and electronic logging devices for recording work and driving hours of truckers.
For many years, we have strongly supported and urged adoption of these truck safety measures and will continue to push agency actions because of unacceptable and excessive government delays. During these years, Sen. Collins has stood on the sidelines on these issues.
Now, she stands near the finish line of our long and difficult efforts to enhance safety, eager and ready to take credit for these safety improvements that were proposed, promoted and brought to near conclusion by others.
Increasing the number of hours that a trucker can work and drive and reducing rest time, as Sen. Collins has done, are not sensible solutions unless you are championing industry profits. Truck crashes have surged from 286,000 in 2009 to 411,000 in 2014– a 44 percent increase. Furthermore, truck crash injuries have skyrocketed by 50 percent during that same period. Truck crash fatalities also continue to rise, increasing nearly 16 percent between 2009 and 2014.
The bad news is the DOT just released figures showing that truck crash fatalities increased by another 4 percent from 2014 to 2015, exceeding 4,000 annual deaths for the first time since 2008.
A staggering 80 percent of the public oppose longer hours for truck drivers. Truck drivers deserve a real “weekend” off and the public deserves to be sharing the road with truck drivers who are rested and alert. It is time for Sen. Collins to stop picking on victims of truck crashes and safety groups and start listening to her constituents and the American people she was elected to represent.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Daphne Izer of Lisbon and Christina Mahaney of Jackman are mothers whose sons were killed in fatigue-related truck crashes.
Automatic Emergency Braking – Prime Time for Regulation
Written by Jacqueline Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. This is one in a series of periodic guest columns by industry thought leaders.
Truck crashes are a serious public health and safety problem. Each year on average, 4,000 people are killed in large-truck crashes. That is equivalent to the death toll of a major airplane crash every other week of the year. Another 100,000 people are injured annually. The economic cost to society from commercial motor vehicle crashes exceeds $100 billion annually.
Alarmingly, we have experienced a 15 percent increase in fatalities and a staggering 50 percent rise in the number of people injured in large-truck crashes since 2009. With total tonnage of truck freight shipments predicted to increase as much as 35 percent by 2040, the urgent need to make trucks safer for all motorists has never been greater.
Fortunately, we already have solutions to significantly improve safety and prevent needless crashes. One common sense safety measure that would curb frequent and fatal truck crashes is the use of automatic emergency braking, or AEB, systems. Yet, in a column published by Trucks.com, truck driver Shelley Uvanile-Hesch argued that AEB technology needs more research before requiring it for new trucks. We respectfully disagree.
The federal agency responsible for regulating this issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has studied rear-end crashes, which are the primary target of automatic braking technology, and estimated that the death and injury toll is significant. Large trucks are the striking vehicle in approximately 32,000 crashes resulting in 300 deaths and more than 15,000 injuries annually. The agency further estimates that with automatic braking systems tuned to react to both moving and stopped lead vehicles, nearly 60 percent of fatalities and injuries in these types of collisions could be prevented.
Automatic braking technology has been offered on large trucks since at least 2006, making the technology nearly a decade old. Manufacturers and suppliers continue to improve the technology and expand its capabilities. In fact, NHTSA recently released a report on a field study of crash avoidance systems, or CAS, finding that in over 3 million miles of data, no rear-end crashes of the type that CAS are designed to prevent occurred from subject vehicles. It also found that while improvements to the systems can be made, they generally work as intended.
Yet Ms. Uvanile-Hesch’s experience does highlight an issue for concern. While the technology exists to put effective crash avoidance systems in trucks, we must make sure that it works properly. That’s why we need a minimum federal safety standard to ensure that the technology currently in use is reliable and meets basic requisites of functionality. In fact, some motor carriers already are paying to install this technology on new trucks even though there are no guarantees that it will perform as advertised.
That needs to change.
My organization, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety — together with other consumer, public health and safety groups as well as truck crash victims and survivors — has petitioned NHTSA to act. Our petition requests that the agency require the use of forward collision avoidance and mitigation braking, or F-CAM, systems on all new large trucks and buses with a minimum gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds.
F-CAM technology uses radar and sensors to first alert the driver and then to apply the brakes when a crash is imminent. F-CAM systems employ a Forward Collision Warning, or FCW, to inform a driver when his or her vehicle gets too close to another vehicle that is stopped or traveling more slowly ahead. This gives the driver a chance to brake in time. When the system determines that a crash is about to occur, a Collision Mitigation Braking, or CMB, system automatically applies the brakes to prevent the crash or reduce its severity.
NHTSA estimates that current generation F-CAM systems can prevent over 2,500 crashes each year and that future systems could prevent more than 6,300 crashes annually.
Our petition urges the establishment of performance requirements. Other critical safety systems in cars and trucks must meet minimum federal standards, including brakes, seat belts, air bags, tires, headlamps and electronic stability control. In the absence of a federal standard, each manufacturer and supplier can design its system to function differently and, in some cases, ineffectively. All drivers should be afforded the assurance that the automatic braking technology will perform at the most critical moments in the driving task. These standards would also include requirements for durability and other aspects of performance. Without a regulation, design and performance choices made by manufacturers and suppliers may not result in sufficient braking capability to guarantee safety and reliability.
Furthermore, our petition focused on automatic braking systems that would only operate in emergencies, and would not interfere with advanced cruise control or other types of systems. That addresses some of the problems Ms. Uvanile-Hesch said she encountered driving her big rig. Automatic braking systems are intended to intervene only when a collision is imminent and to take control of braking only when a driver has failed to apply the brakes or perform any evasive maneuver.
Purchasing a new car or truck involves numerous decisions by the prospective buyer, including cost and safety features. AEB is a crash avoidance technology that will prevent crashes and will result in saving lives and saving money. This important lifesaving technology should be standard equipment on all new trucks and buses and should be required to meet minimum federal performance requirements. It is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that safety systems on planes, trains, trucks and cars work well and work every time. Less-than-ideal performance of current automatic braking systems actually sounds the alarm on the urgent need for NHTSA to establish uniform safety standards for AEB.
Editor’s note: Jacqueline Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, has devoted her career to advancing highway, auto, and motor carrier safety. She has held senior positions in government and public-interest organizations.
Link: https://www.trucks.com/2016/06/23/automatic-emergency-braking-ready/
Recent FedEx Crashes
We wanted to bring to your attention several disturbing crashes that have occurred recently. There are several contributing factors that caused these crashes, such as double tractor-trailers, fatigue, and failure to stop in time. But all of these crashes share one thing in common – a FedEx truck was involved.
Pennsylvania: FedEx truck hits Wayne Valley H.S. school bus on class trip to Dorney Park
Texas: I-30 Reopens After FedEx Truck Crashes, Spills Fuel
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/FedEx-Truck-Crashes-Shuts-Down-I-30-in-Dallas-381080171.html
California: 1 Dead, 4 Injured in Interstate 5 Crash Near Coalinga
http://abc30.com/news/1-dead-4-injured-in-interstate-5-crash-near-coalinga/1327088/
Mississippi: FedEx [double trailer] truck involved in Highway 78 crash
http://www.wdam.com/story/31961768/fedex-truck-involved-in-highway-78-crash
California: CHP Details Deadly Big Rig Crash on I-10 in Cabazon (FedEx double tractor trailer)
http://patch.com/california/banning-beaumont/least-one-killed-cabazon-big-rig-crash-i-10-chp-0
Tennessee: FedEx [double tractor trailer] driver issued fatigue citation after 8-vehicle crash on I-24
http://wkrn.com/2016/05/05/crash-on-i-24-w-near-ohb-causing-significant-delays/
Texas: 18-wheeler crash shuts down I-35 in Salado (FedEx double tractor-trailer)
http://www.newswest9.com/story/31556016/18-wheeler-crash-shuts-down-i-35-in-salado
Tennessee: Answers sought after FedEx [double trailer] truck captured swerving for 60 miles on I-40 (no crash, but watch video)
http://wkrn.com/2016/06/08/answers-sought-after-fedex-truck-captured-swerving-for-60-miles-on-i-40/
Two Dead and One Injured in a Truck Crash in Suwanee County, FL
On May 12, 2016, at approximately 12:00 p.m., Benjamin Piechoczek, 19, and Jordan Gutheim, 20, were the occupants of a Volvo traveling southbound on FL State Road 247, when it was struck from behind by a tractor-trailer. The impact sent the Volvo into the northbound lane where it was struck by a northbound pickup truck.
Mr. Piechoczek and Ms. Gutheim were fatally injured in the crash. The pickup driver, Ronald Krywosinski, 64, was transported to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The truck driver not injured. The crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Charges are pending.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
One Man Dead and a Woman Injured due to a Truck Crash in Deuel County, NE
On May 1, 2016, at approximately, 1:25 a.m., Sophia Wooley, 26, and Victor Wooley, 35, were traveling eastbound on I-80 freeway when they stopped on a construction zone. Suddenly, the minivan was struck from behind by a semi-truck also traveling eastbound on I-80.
Mr. Wooley was pronounced dead at the scene and Ms. Wooley was transported to a hospital in Julesburg, CO for treatment of her injuries.
The truck driver was not injured. The crash is under investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Three People Dead and a Child in Critical Conditions due to a Truck Crash in Montgomery County, TX
On April 23, 2016, at approximately 11:00 a.m., a truck driver driving an 18-wheeler was on Texas 105 near South Walker Road when traffic slowed down due to a slow moving convoy. He failed to slow down and crashed into the back of a Mercedes Sedan. The impact forced the Mercedes into the back of Cadillac Sedan. A total of four vehicles were impacted in the crash.
Two people died at the scene. Both victims were identified as Eric Shirley, 57, and his passenger, Doris Moorer, 76. A mother, identified as Jennifer Crain, 31, and her son were taken to Conroe Regional Medical Center. Ms. Crain succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Her son was transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for treatment of critical injuries.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the truck driver failed to control his speed before crashing into four vehicles. The truck driver was charged with three second degree felony counts of intoxication manslaughter and one felony count of injury to a child. The crash is under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Trucks with weak underride guards, or none at all, offer little to no protection for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who can possibly crash into the sides or rear of a truck and trailer. Rear underride guards are required on many trucks and trailers, but the standard is antiquated and ineffective in preventing underride crashes from becoming injurious or fatal. Overall, more than 4,000 people are killed and 100,000 injured in large truck crashes every year in the United States and a portion of the preventable fatal crashes involve underride.
To find more information please visit the website: www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org.
Truck Driver Killed in a Truck Crash in Riverside County, CA
On May 11, 2016, at approximately 11:00 a.m., Miguel Rolon, 59, was driving a flatbed tractor-trailer eastbound on I-10, when the truck became disabled and stopped on the roadway. Mr. Rolon exited the truck and climbed onto the trailer waving his arms to warn traffic. The driver of a Fed Ex semi-truck failed to see Mr. Rolon and crashed into the back of Mr. Rolon’s truck.
The impact threw Mr. Rolon to the ground. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Fed Ex truck driver suffered minor injuries and was transported to Desert Regional Hospital for treatment. The crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
21 Years Old Man Died after Semi-Truck Slammed into Tractor in Jefferson County, Idaho
On April 27, 2016, at approximately 4:23 p.m., when McNeil Walker, 21, was driving a John Deere tractor southbound on I-15 when a semi-truck struck him from behind. The impact of the crash sent both vehicles rolling into the median. Walker died at the scene.
The truck driver was not injured. The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
One Woman Dead and One Boy Injured in a Truck Wreck in Fresno County, CA
On May 16, 2016, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Linda Iverson-Gutierrez was slowing in traffic on CA Highway 99, when a tractor-trailer following her Ford Edge failed to slow down. The semi crashed in the back of the Ford Edge causing the vehicle to crash into a cement retaining wall.
Ms. Iverson-Gutierrez was fatally injured in the crash. Her 17 year-old passenger was transported to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, for treatment of an arm fracture.
The truck driver was not injured. The crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. The results of the investigation will be sent to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
Truck driver fatigue has been recognized as a major safety concern and a contributing factor to fatal truck crashes for over 70 years. Studies sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reveal that 65% of truck drivers report that they often or sometimes feel drowsy while driving and nearly half of truck drivers admit that they had actually fallen asleep while driving in the previous year.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Husband and Wife Died in a Truck Crash in Edgar County, IL
On May 17, 2016, at approximately 11:21 a.m., Clyde Kingery, 82 was traveling northbound on IL Route 49 with his wife, Mary Kingery, 79, when a southbound tractor-trailer left the roadway and re-entered it, traveling into the northbound lane. Mr. Kingery attempted to move onto the right shoulder of the highway, but the semi struck his Buick Regal head-on.
Ms. Kingery died instantly from injuries sustained in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Kingery Jr. was extricated from the wreckage and transported to the emergency room at Paris Community Hospital. He was pronounced dead in the ER at 1:18 p.m.
The truck driver and his passenger were transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The crash is under investigation by the Illinois State Patrol.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Chicago Public School Teacher Killed in a Truck Crash in Cook County, IL
On April 30, 2016, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Jeffery Komada, 54, was driving on I-294 when he he came upon a minivan stalled in the middle lane of the highway. He stopped on the Tri-State Tollway to assist a woman with a flat tire. Mr. Komada’s Honda CRV struck the back of the minivan. He had exited the CRV when it was struck from behind by a Volkswagen Tiguan. He was outside of his car when a tractor-trailer crashed into him, the CRV and the Volkswagen.
Mr. Komada was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he succumbed to injuries suffered in the crash.
Police said Saturday that no tickets had been issued and the incident is under investigation. Police did not say whether the mother and her child were injured.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
One person dead, Two Injured in a Three Vehicle Truck Crash in Windom County, Vermont
On April 26, 2016, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Dean Tkaczyk, 54, was driving northbound on Vermont Route 30 when her vehicle was struck from by behind by a large truck. The impact of the crash caused Ms. Tkaczyk to hit a car driven by Andrea Fields, 48.
Ms. Fields’ passenger, Charlene Higgins, 88, was transported to Brattlebro Memorial Hospital then transferred to Baystate Medical Center where she later died due to her injuries. Ms. Field was transported to Brattlebro Memorial Hospital for treatment of a neck injury. Ms. Tkaczyk was also treated there for her shoulder injury.
The truck driver was not injured. The crash is currently under investigation.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Five People Injured and One dead in a Truck Crash in Lee County, FL
On May 16, 2016, a truck driver was driving a tractor-trailer northbound on Summerlin Road in Fort Myers, when traffic ahead of him began to slow. He failed to slow down and crashed into the back of a Lincoln Town Car. The impact started a chain reaction crash involving a total of seven vehicles.
The Town Car burst into flames and the back seat passenger, Kristin Lee, 38, was fatally injured. The driver, James Cwanek, 70, and front seat passenger, Austin Perkins, were transported to Tampa Regional Hospital for treatment of critical injuries.
The driver of the vehicle in front of the Town Car, Brian Crump, 27, and his passenger, Nadine Saint-Vil, 25, were transported to Health Park Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
The next vehicle driven by Robert Ingalls, 84 was also injured. He was also transported to Health Park with serious injuries.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries. The crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Charges are pending the completion of the investigation.=
Truck driver fatigue has been recognized as a major safety concern and a contributing factor to fatal truck crashes for over 70 years. Studies sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reveal that 65% of truck drivers report that they often or sometimes feel drowsy while driving and nearly half of truck drivers admit that they had actually fallen asleep while driving in the previous year.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Elderly Woman Injured in Ambulance after Logging Truck Crash in Gulf County, Florida
On April 26, 2016, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a truck driver was driving an unloaded logging truck on eastbound U.S. Highway 98 when he came upon stopped traffic and attempted to stop. The truck jackknifed and pushed the tractor into the westbound lane. The ambulance driving eastbound crashed into the truck.
Doris Chase, 72, who was in the ambulance was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries after the ambulance in which she was riding crashed head-on with the logging truck. Ms. Chase was transported to a Panama City Hospital for treatment.
The truck driver was not injured and was charged with careless driving.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
One Man Dead after Semi-Truck Crashed into a Motel in El Paso, Texas
On May 6, 2016, at approximately 10:15 a.m., a truck driver was driving a tractor-trailer eastbound on I-10, when he lost control. The tractor-trailer exited the interstate, traveled through a parking lot and a brick wall before crashing into the Studio 6 Hotel. The truck struck Derreset Brown, 51, who was sleeping in a first floor room. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.
The truck driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to La Palmas Medical Center for treatment. The crash is under investigation by the El Paso Police Department.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
TDOT Employee Killed in Truck Crash, Hickman County, TN
On April 28, 2016, at approximately 9:40 a.m., a worker with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), David Younger, 65, was standing in front of his TDOT vehicle with his co-workers on I-40. Three TDOT vehicles pulled over on the side of the road with their emergency lights activated as they unloaded equipment from one of the vehicles. Mr. Younger was waiting for help to change a flat tire when a tractor-trailer veered off the interstate and struck his vehicle, which then struck him. Mr. Younger was pronounced dead at the scene.
Three TDOT employees were injured and taken to the hospital for treatment. The truck driver was also injured. He was also transported for treatment of injuries and has criminal charges pending against him as a result of the crash.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org
Motorcyclist Killed in a Truck Wreck in Wagoner County, OK
On May 3, 2016, at approximately 6:40 a.m., Daniel Childress, 34, was riding his motorcycle eastbound on U.S. Highway 412, when a tractor-trailer pulled into his path as the truck driver attempted to turn onto the highway from 305th East Avenue. The motorcycle crashed into the semi’s fuel tank. Mr. Childress was pronounced dead at the scene.
The truck driver was not injured. The crash is under investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The current federal weight limit for a large interstate truck is 80,000 pounds, but for some states, there are exemptions and permits allowing even heavier trucks to travel on our roadways. Bigger, heavier trucks are more likely to be in a crash, more likely to cause damage to our roads and bridges, and more likely to result in an injury or death.
To find more information please visit the website: https://www.trucksafety.org or send an email to info@trucksafety.org