Description

The 2019 Commercial Vehicle Safety Research Summit: Best Practices for Industry & Law Enforcement Partnerships was held on November 19-20 in Northampton, Massachusetts with over 150 participants. Each of the Eastern Service Center (ESC) region, states and territories were represented with representation varying from one to 23  participants per state. The Summit offered 46 presentations that encouraged open discussion and collaboration between both presenters and attendees.

Briefing Report

 

Attendee Feedback

2019 Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit: Best Practices for Industry & Law Enforcement Partnerships to Prevent Crashes

Presentations 

Day 1 - November 19, 2019

    Concurrent Session 1A: Behind the Wheel

    Comprehensive programs that promote the safe operations of trucks and buses are essential to preventing crashes. In this session, speakers focused on safety initiatives from the ground up, including carrier onboarding procedures, in-house driver training, compliance, and the positive effects of in-cab monitoring.

    Concurrent Session 1B: Safety Data in Motion

    With the overwhelming amount of data being collected at all levels, one consistent challenge is how to best utilize it for efficiency, planning and enforcement. In this session, speakers discussed how live-feed data is used by both law enforcement and industry to implement safety programming such as virtual weigh stations, work zone notification systems and electronic citations.

    Concurrent Session 1C: Risks on the Road

    Some traffic safety risks have existed for decades, while others have emerged as a consequence of modern advancements - including data-enabled devices - or crises, such as forced labor. This session examined various risks specific to truck and bus safety, spanning driver, roadway, and environmental causation.

    Luncheon Keynote

    Concurrent Session 2A: In-State Joint Initiatives - Hampshire Room

    Many states have pioneered collaborative programming to address truck and bus safety by implementing various methodologies, including education, enforcement, and technology. In this session, stakeholders from FMCSA, truck and bus associations, law enforcement, and licensing agencies discussed examples of these partnerships, shared lessons learned, and compared the strategies that have been most and least effective.

    Concurrent Session 2B: Evidence-Based Research: Moving Safety Forward

    Ongoing research efforts have wide-ranging impacts on truck and bus safety, as more sophisticated data and technology becomes the norm. Research-based projects can provide the foundation that is crucial to implementing new programs as well as long-term directives. The production of tools, guidelines or protocols to assist government agencies, vehicle design entities, and roadway design specialists have been particularly beneficial to CMV safety research. In this session, presenters shared current projects aimed at making vehicles and roadways safer for commercial operations, as well as predictive and programmatic tools to help researchers and law enforcement better understand where, when and why truck and bus crashes occur.

    Concurrent Session 2C: Highly Automated Commercial Vehicles

    Connected and highly automated vehicles have captured engineers' imaginations for decades, and recent implementations of this technology is making the dream a reality. This session explored highly automated commercial vehicle applications, communication needs with law enforcement, and how federal and state government are preparing for the societal impacts of this technology.

    Plenary Session: Industry Safety From All Angles

    There are a growing number of methodologies, operations, and innovations for addressing the varied safety concerns specific to large truck and bus safety. In the day one closing session, speakers working hands-on in the trucking industry showcased their specific initiatives, including driver health and wellness, driver telematics, and advanced vehicle technologies.

    Day 2 - November 20, 2019

    Plenary Panel: Decriminalization of Marijuana

    While marijuana decriminalization has profound implications for all highway safety, is of particular concern within the realm of professional drivers, as truck and bus crashes are often far deadlier than passenger vehicle crashes. As a result, the transportation industry and law enforcement have been tasked to manage education and enforcement in unison. Panelists from both research and enforcement realms discussed the consequences of marijuana use among drivers, the increased potential for crashes, initiatives for clear regulations and solutions for protecting our roadways.

    Concurrent Session 3A: Moving Forward: Safety Culture & Partnerships

    Effective safety solutions emerge from sustainable partnerships and institutionalizing safety as the top priority. This session focused on the architecture of strong partnerships between industry and government towards the creation of a safety culture. By working together, protecting lives and improving everyday practices, we can make truck and bus safety a central pillar of our institutions.

    Concurrent Session 3B: Advancing Safety Technology

    Safety technologies seem as though they're changing daily, and in many ways that isn't far from the truth. Advancements can be as simple as a smartphone app, or as extensive as the complete vehicle design. In this session, speakers from private industry provided insight into the latest advancements being implemented within fleets, and how to best comply with regulations and law enforcement. 

     

     

    Photo Gallery

     

    Best Practices

    Marijuana Decriminalization (Q1 2020)

    While marijuana decriminalization has profound implications for all highway safety, it is of particular concern within the realm of professional drivers, as truck and bus crashes are often far deadlier than passenger vehicle crashes. As a result, the entire spectrum of transportation safety stakeholders have been tasked to manage education and enforcement in unison. In the first quarter of 2020, CV-STAC is hosting resources including a webinar and articles to assist in approaching the challenges posed by marijuana decriminalization.

    Collision Avoidance Systems (Q2 2020)

    Collision Avoidance Systems have the potential to reduce the number of commercial vehicle crashes, as well as the harm done when these crashes do occur. In the second quarter of 2020, CV-STAC will host resources including a webinar and articles about the benefits and uses of Collision Avoidance Systems, as well as challenges faced when implementing these technologies.

    Safety Culture (Q3 2020)

    What is an organization or community's safety culture? How do we change an organization or community's values and behaviors to be more safety centered? In the third quarter of 2020, CV-STAC will host resources including a webinar and articles about effectively establishing and maintaining a safety-centered culture.