USA Auto Transport: August 2008

Check tyres

Tread wear indicators are built into most tyres to indicate when tread depth reaches about 1.5mm. The depth of the tyre tread above these indicators is not included in the assessment of tread depth around the circumference of a tyre.

In effect, these requirements allow a tyre to be worn to less than 1.5mm tread depth on its edges, provided that at least 75% of the remaining width of the tyre has a minimum tread depth of 1.5mm around the whole circumference.

The overall diameter of dual tyres on the same side of an axle is not matched within 25 mm;

A tyre (including sidewalls) has deep cuts, chunking, bumps, bulges, exposed cords or other signs of carcass failure;

A tyre has been regrooved (except where indicated on the side wall that the tyres are suitable for regrooving);

When in the straight ahead position, the wheels and tyres and fittings (wheel nuts, grease caps etc) of any vehicle project beyond the extreme width of the mudguards or exceed the maximum width of a vehicle;

Strong Safety Belt Laws Can Make a Difference

There are two types of safety belt laws: primary and secondary. A primary safety belt law allows a law enforcement officer to stop a vehicle and issue a citation when the officer simply observes an unbelted driver or passenger. A secondary safety belt law means that a citation for not wearing a safety belt can only be written after the officer stops the vehicle for another infraction.

safety belt laws are much more effective in increasing safety belt use, because people are more likely to buckle up when there is the perceived risk of receiving a citation for not doing so.19 In 2003, the average safety belt use rate in States with primary enforcement laws was 11 percentage points higher than in States without primary enforcement laws.

Most teens support primary enforcement safety belt laws. In 2003, a nationwide survey was conducted to determine attitudes regarding primary enforcement safety belt laws. Of those young people 16 to 20 years of age who were surveyed, 64 percent voiced their support for primary enforcement laws.

One of the strongest predictors of safety belt use among young drivers is a State's safety belt law. From 1998 to 2002, teenage (16-19 years old) driver belt use was significantly lower in crashes occurring in States allowing only secondary enforcement (30 percent) than in crashes occurring in primary law States (49 percent).

Check headlight aim using a headlight tester

the aim of the headlight is adjusted such that, when on high beam and measured at an effective distance of 8m, the projected centre of the beam is to the right of the headlight centre and/or is above the headlight centre;

when measured at an effective distance of 8m, any part of the top edge of the high intensity portion of the low beam pattern is above and to the right of the centreline of the headlight;

Visually inspect ullage and safety valves

where a container is fitted with an automatic fill limiter (AFL), there is no label at the filling point warning the driver "AFL fitted - bleeding during filling not required";

where an ullage valve is fitted, the outlet does not have a cap or plug;

NOTE: An ullage valve is not required if the vehicle is fitted with an AFL. where a container is not fitted with an AFL, there is no label warning the driver to "Stop filling when liquid appears";

the safety valve has any damage in the system or blockage to the discharge pipe, if fitted, or allows the discharge to strike the exhaust system, container or a bystander, or the protective cap is not functioning or is missing.

Check steering components under the bonnet and under the vehicle

Any steering component is missing, cracked or broken;

Any threaded or tapered joint is loose;

freeplay due to wear in a balljoint exceeds manufacturer’s specifications. Where these are not known or are no longer appropriate, the freeplay exceeds 3mm;

Any steering component can be seen to have been repaired or modified by heating or welding;

Check braking system operation

Any brake failure indicators do not operate;

Any compulsory pressure, vacuum or low level warning devices or gauges do not operate;

The brake controls do not cause the corresponding brake to apply when they are operated (with the engine running if necessary).

Onboard Monitoring to Improve Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety

The overall objective of this program is to determine whether onboard monitoring and feedback can improve C commercial motor vehicle driver performance and safety. This project will

define which driver performance aspects should be measured,
determine the best means of communicating information to the driver (e।g।, real-time or delayed feedback),
design and development of a prototype suite, and
a research methodology for the follow-on FOT.

Take an active role in helping your teenager learn how to drive. Plan a series of practice sessions in a wide variety of situations, including night driving. Give beginners time to work up to challenges like driving in heavy traffic or on the freeway. Supervised practice should be spread over at least six months and continue even after a teenager graduates from a learner’s permit to a restricted or full license. Remember that you’re a role model. New drivers learn a lot by example, so practice safe driving. Teens with crashes and violations often have parents with poor driving records.

Potential Crash Report Problems

Limited space on a form can result in the use of space saving measures such as a “merging” of data elements into a single field. This can result in fields that don’t appropriately record the intended data. One example would be the use of the same field for the officer to record the registered vehicle owner and the responsible carrier. The owner of the vehicle is NOT always the motor carrier. If the officer records the name of the owner and the USDOT# of the proper motor carrier, this will produce a mis-match when the case is uploaded in SAFETYNET. Conversely, recording the motor carrier can cause the registered vehicle owner to be lost. Another example would be a lack of sufficient space for the officer to write the entire motor carrier name or address. This promotes abbreviations and partial names to be recorded, making it difficult to resolve any errors.

Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) Operational Model Test

During February 2008, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will begin the first phase of the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) operational model test. During this test, a representative sample of interstate motor carriers within the States of Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, and Georgia will be subjected to a new safety measurement system and progressive interventions designed to pinpoint a motor carrier's poor safety performance with significant emphasis placed on the data that is gathered at the roadside.

It is important to note that the operational model test will not provide any regulatory relief. Motor carriers will not be rated during the test because the new methodology must be implemented through rulemaking, which will begin during 2008. In advance of this rulemaking, a motor carrier found to have poor safety performance, and is unresponsive to the new CSA 2010 interventions, will undergo a compliance review and be rated in accordance with FMCSA's current compliance and enforcement process.

During the test, FMCSA will determine the effectiveness of the new operational model; both in safety impact and its effect on State and Federal resources. This test is a critical step in addressing CSA 2010's goals, which include reaching more carriers and drivers, increasing compliance, and decreasing motor carrier-related crashes and fatalities.

The test will continue for 30 months into mid-2010, at which time FMCSA is planning full implementation of the CSA 2010 model. FMCSA would like to thank our State partners who will be participating in the important test: the Colorado State Patrol, the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Thermal Imaging Inspection System

FMCSA has launched a project to demonstrate a thermal imaging inspection system (TIIS) that leverages state-of-the-art thermal imagery technology, integrated with signature recognition software, in order to provide the capability to identify in real-time faults and impending failures in tires, brakes, and bearings mounted on large trucks and motor coaches. A two-year research grant was awarded to International Electronic Machines Corporation for $1.4 million to conduct the TIIS project, as directed by Congress under Section 5513(a) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Act of 2005.

The project will be conducted in a field environment along the interstate highway to further assess the system ability to identify commercial motor vehicle (CMV) component faults and failures. A predictive tool that identifies impending tire, brake, or bearing failures and provides a timeframe in which these failures may occur will be developed and integrated into the TIIS. This project will also assess technological enhancements in the capabilities of thermal imaging systems, as related to the Agency prior research of infrared technology conducted six years ago.

Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) Field Operational Test

The IVBSS initiative seeks to establish a partnership with the automotive and commercial vehicle industries to accelerate the introduction of integrated vehicle-based safety systems into the nation's vehicle fleet. This is the first attempt to fully integrate the individual solutions that address three types of crashes: rear-end, road departure, and lane-change. The IVBSS will combine existing research results and state-of-the-art commercial products and product performance for all systems related to this problem.

Enhanced Rear Signaling for Commercial Motor Vehicles

In September, 2005 FMCSA initiated development of a prototype enhanced rear signaling system for use on commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). The system incorporates countermeasures that were developed in Phase I of this project. The system was evaluated by installing it on a test truck and by observing the behavior of drivers in real-world conditions. Based on the analysis of following driver behavior, the system showed that there are possible benefits to this system, or elements of this system, when used on CMVs. FMCSA is now considering conducting a field operational test (FOT) to further explore this system.

The countermeasures identified in Phase I include: (1) LED brake lamps with an ambient light sensor to make the lamps brighter in direct sunlight and more conspicuous in bright ambient light, (2) brake lamps that are activated by engine braking to address the increasing use of jake brakes in CMVs, (3) additional conspicuity markings that create a more accurate perception of the truck position for following drivers, (4) a sensor system that detects and tracks a following vehicle and sounds a focused audio signal and illuminates a traffic clearing lamp when the vehicle is following too closely or approaching at too high a rate of speed.

Phase III of the Enhanced Rear Signaling project will entail lab, simulator, track, and jury tests to ascertain the best configuration and combination of countermeasures to be used in a large scale FOT. In addition, a large scale, 18-month FOT will be designed. The research will entail exploration of most effective photometric characteristics of the enhanced brake lamps, comparison of existing required retro-reflective markings with the octagonal retro-reflective markings developed in Phase I, and lab/simulator and/or track tests of changes in closure rates with the prototype and without.

Phase IV of the Enhanced Rear Signaling project will execute a large-scale field operational test to analyze the benefits of the prototype system developed in Phase II. Its goal will be to determine the effectiveness of the specific components of the system and develop support for any potential rulemaking action that NHTSA may choose to undertake.

Advanced Driver Fatigue Research – GWU earmark

This report summarizes the findings of the Advanced Driver Fatigue Research project conducted by the Center for Intelligent Systems Research (CISR) of the George Washington University, and funded by FMCSA. This goal of this project was to develop an unobtrusive drowsy driver detection system for commercial motor carriers. CISR previously developed an effective drowsiness detection system for automobiles that relied solely on the driver’s steering patterns for input. This project’s evaluation of this system confirms that this approach is equally valid for truck drivers, despite the differences between truck and automobile driving. The drowsy driver detection system exhibited acceptable false positive and false negative readings and an ideal warning rate before crashes.

Visually inspect Fire Extinguisher (where required)

Fire extinguisher is not filled or charged;
Handles, nozzles or hoses of fire extinguisher is missing or damaged;
The extinguisher is not securely mounted in the vehicle.

Note: Fire extinguishers can become ineffective even though they appear properly charged. For example powder type extinguishers subject to vibration can fail due to compacting of the powder.