Report Summarizes Risk Management Study Findings from A.J. Krum and Co-Researchers (Fast Dash: Program Overview and Key Findings From Initial Technology Evaluations)

2019 APR 16 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- New research on Risk Management is the subject of a report. According to news reporting originating from Blacksburg, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “One focus of the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to provide leadership in the testing and evaluation of promising safety technologies developed for use in commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).”

Financial support for this research came from Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, an agency within the United States Department of Transportation.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research, “To this end, a program was developed by FMCSA to conduct independent, short-turnaround evaluations of promising safety technologies. Vendors who had promising safety technologies, focused in the commercial vehicle domain, were solicited to participate and submit an application. One technology was selected by FMCSA for each evaluation cycle (lasting approximately 18 months). The technology was tested in both static and dynamic conditions, after which a trucking fleet, and its drivers, were brought in to test the technology in a field operational test (FOT) lasting approximately 6 weeks. During the FOT, 15-20 trucks were instrumented with the technology and other data collection equipment, including sensors and video cameras. A study was then conducted during which drivers used the technology in their revenue-producing operations. Initially, often for the first 2 months, the technology collected data but did but not actively present alerts to the driver. Following this baseline period, a four-month intervention period was conducted. Each evaluation has resulted in more than 1,000,000 km of driving data including continuous video data. Data analyses focused on understanding the efficacy of the technology in terms of (i) safety improvements, (ii) challenges to implementation (e.g., unintended consequences), and (iii) user acceptance (including driver, fleet manager, and other fleet personnel as appropriate). The technology vendors who applied for the first three evaluations can be classified into the following general categories: fatigue/drowsiness, fleet management, visibility safety systems, cell phone policy/enforcement, and other systems. Three technology evaluations were completed in the first 5 years of (i) a blind spot detection and warning system, (ii) an onboard monitoring system, and (iii) a novel mirror technology.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “High-level results of each of these three evaluations are highlighted in the paper.”

For more information on this research see: Fast Dash: Program Overview and Key Findings From Initial Technology Evaluations. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2019;124():113-119. Accident Analysis & Prevention can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Accident Analysis & Prevention - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/accident-analysis-and-prevention/)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting A.J. Krum, Vtti, 3500 Transportat Res Plaza, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States. Additional authors for this research include R.J. Hanowski, A. Miller, A. Schaudt and S. Soccolich.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.12.014. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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