Description

The 2024 Northeast Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit: Innovative Best Practices to Prevent Crashes was held November 13-14 in Springfield, Massachusetts with 140 participants. Each of the Eastern Service Center (ESC) region, states and territories were represented with representation varying from one to 30 participants per state. The Summit offered 37 presentations that encouraged open discussion and collaboration between both presenters and attendees.

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2024 Northeast Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit: Innovative Best Practices to Prevent Crashes

Presentations 

Day 1 - November 13, 2024

    Session 1 - Welcome: Setting the Stage for Safety

    • Michael Knodler, UMass Transportation Center (Presentation not available)
    • Robin Riessman, UMassSafe (Presentation not available)
    • Taft Kelly, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Presentation not available)

    FMCSA Priorities and Directions

    • Darrell Ruban, Associate Administrator Office of Safety, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Presentation not available)

    Concurrent Session 2A - Combatting Human Trafficking

    With millions of commercial vehicles on the road every day, the trucking community is uniquely positioned to help identify and report human trafficking. This panel explored the various forms of human trafficking, and highlight how targeted awareness campaigns, specialized training, law enforcement programs, and cross-industry collaboration can combat this pervasive crime.

    Concurrent Session 2B - Identifying Crash Causation & High-Risk Drivers

    Driver distraction and fatigue are on the rise, but where does the at-fault causation lie? This session provided a deep dive into commercial vehicle crash causation and relevant factors, as well as driver-findings regarding medical outcomes and citation adjudication. Additionally, this session provided insights from a collaborative high-crash corridor study and a driver self-reported risky behavior survey, ultimately informing stakeholders to further enhance enforcement and safety initiatives.

    Concurrent Session 3A - Enforcement Roundtable: Best Practices from the Field

    This roundtable brought together law enforcement and technology experts to share strategies and exchange ideas for maximizing limited personnel resources. Successful enforcement techniques and innovative programming that improve driver compliance and vehicle inspections were discussed for cross-state collaboration efforts to strengthen enforcement outcomes.

    Concurrent Session 3B - University Partnerships to Support Truck & Bus Safety

    When your personnel resources are tapped out, there are other avenues to help develop or implement your CMV safety ideas. This session highlighted how academic institutions have assisted safety stakeholders in the development of evidence-based safety curriculums, tools to inform targeted enforcement, as well as facilitation of public information and education safety campaigns.

    Concurrent Session 4 - Equitable Traffic Enforcement: Targeted Strategies for Change

    With rising roadway fatalities and declining enforcement rates since 2020, there is an urgent need for enhanced traffic enforcement that prioritizes equity. Researchers at the University of Connecticut have examined over five million traffic stop records to identify strategies that improve roadway safety while minimizing racial and ethnic disparities. In this presentation, Ken Barone shared key findings from 12 years of research, particularly focusing on fair enforcement approaches for traffic safety stops. This session fostered discussions on these findings while exploring ways to advance equitable commercial motor vehicle traffic safety in a changing landscape.

    Concurrent Session 5A - Building Safer Roads: Role of Community Engagement

    Engaging commercial truck drivers in developing safety messages can significantly enhance the effectiveness of education and awareness campaigns. This session explored how to create and implement such initiatives, drawing on the successful launch of 'Buckle Up, Brockton,' a community-driven media campaign introduced earlier this year. This session provided valuable insights on securing buy-in from trucking community stakeholders - an often-overlooked group in safety planning - and crafting messaging that resonates with their attitudes, beliefs, and culture, ultimately contributing to safer roadways for everyone.

    Concurrent Session 5B - Drones in Enforcement and Crash Investigations

    More than just a toy for hobbyists, drone technologies have multiple safety applications for enhancing commercial vehicle enforcement and crash investigation. This session highlighted successful collaborations between skilled drone operators and law enforcement, demonstrating ways drones can assist with mapping crash scenes and reconstruction, providing more timely investigations and engineering assessments toward implementing enhanced countermeasures.

    Session 6 - Trucking's Future: Automation and Industry Reimagined

    Autonomous commercial motor vehicles, particularly autonomous long-haul heavy trucks, will transform a large segment of the US economy and the millions of workers that support it. A research project conducted by UMass, on the 'Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier,' is focused on building knowledge about the transformation that is taking place within the commercial motor vehicle industry while also examining how the relationship between an autonomous vehicle and in-cab operator can be improved. This session provided a discussion to better understand the impact of these future technologies on many aspects surrounding the future of trucking.

    • Moderator - Shannon Roberts, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, UMass Amherst
    • Aurora Automation Overview - Matt Blackburn, Aurora

    Day 2 - October 26, 2022

    Session 7 - Innovative Approaches to Shifting Driver Behavior

    In a world full of sticks, maybe what we need is a carrot. This session explored strategies to enhance CMV driver safety by moving beyond static safety warnings or traditional penalties. Attendees learned how proactive measures that leverage driver engagement, through apps and real-time alerts, have the potential to reduce crashes and fatalities.

    Concurrent Session 8A - Judicial Strategies to Address CDL Masking

    Citations and their adjudication serve a critical role in traffic safety by helping to identify and sanction drivers who pose the greatest risks to the safety of all roadway users. This panel session explored the legal challenges and implications of masking such violations, to highlight the need for stronger judicial measures to enhance accountability and transparency within the driver licensing process. Experts discussed existing legislative frameworks, potential reforms, and the role of the judiciary in enforcing stricter penalties against violators.

    • Moderator - Stacey Manware, Connecticut Judicial Branch
    • Honorable Jonah Triebwasser, National Judicial College
    • Honorable Gary Graber, National Judicial College
    • Bella Truong, National Traffic Law Center 

    Concurrent Session 8B - Fleet Safety Tools: Tech Solutions for Safer Operations

    Advances in technology are transforming fleet safety on multiple fronts, from roadway operations and vehicle design to driver performance. This session explored how innovations in vehicle and roadway systems work together to enhance driver awareness, minimize physical blind spots, and promote safer driving practices. By adopting these state-of-the-art tools and vehicle standards, fleets can build a safety-first culture, reduce crashes rates, and improve overall operational efficiency.

    Concurrent Session 9A - Data-Driven Programming: Using Analytics to Save Lives

    Effective problem-solving begins with understanding when, where, and why incidents occur. In this session, traffic operation managers and researchers discussed the critical role of data systems in incident management, work zone planning, and crash prevention.

    Concurrent Session 9B - Advancing Commercial Vehicle Safety: Latest FMCSA Research, Technology, and Data Analysis Projects to Reduce Roadway Fatalities

    Representatives from the FMCSA Office of Research highlighted current and upcoming applied research, advanced technology initiatives, and safety analysis projects. This presentation provided an overview of the FMCSA's innovative portfolio for enhancing safety and efficiency in the commercial motor vehicle industry. By exploring new insights and data-driven strategies, participants will be empowered to adopt safer practices and contribute to the critical goal of reducing roadway fatalities.

     

    This material is based upon work supported by the FMCSA under a grant, FM-MHP-0768-23-01-00

     

     

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