July 24: Webcast of Roundtable on Driver-Assistance Technology in Heavy Trucks

The safety benefits of using advanced technology in heavy-duty trucks—and the obstacles too—will be the focus of a roundtable hosted by the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Safety Council on July 24 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, Schaumburg, Ill.

Nearly two-dozen trucking industry professionals, government officials, safety advocates, researchers and more will participate in a conversation about strategies to increase the use of advanced driver assistance systems in heavy-duty trucks and fleets. The event is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT.

The meeting is open to the public, but seating is limited. The event also will be webcast. To view the webcast, visit the events page on the NTSB website and click on the registration link (access webcast link day of event). For questions, email media@nsc.org.

The discussion comes during an era in which motor vehicle fatalities are up, despite rapid advancements in safety technologies. NSC estimates that at least 40,000 people died in crashes in 2016 – a 14% increase since 2014, and the steepest two-year increase since 1964. Heavy-duty vehicles have not been immune from the troubling trend: more than 4,300 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes in 2015, according to the most recent data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Existing vehicle safety technologies such as forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind-spot detection could prevent or mitigate heavy-duty truck crashes. Yet, many trucking organizations and independent operators have not fully embraced new technologies for their vehicles. The issue prompted the NTSB to include “Increase Implementation of Collision Avoidance Technologies” on its 2017-18 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements.

The four-part roundtable discussion will begin with an overview of the state of ADAS technologies in the trucking industry. Participants then will discuss driver interactions with the technologies and the most effective strategies for educating and training drivers. The third discussion point will focus on government regulation versus voluntary adoption of safety technologies. Finally, the group will consider challenges to implementing ADAS in heavy-duty fleets and analyze possible solutions.

Experts from the following organizations are scheduled to participate:

• Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
• American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
• American Trucking Associations
• Andrews Logistics
• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems
• Daimler Trucks North America
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Fleetio
• Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine
• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Lancer Insurance
• Lytx DriveCam
• Mobileye Vision Technologies
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• National Private Truck Council
• Schneider National, Inc.
• Sentinel Transportation, LLC
• Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
• Volvo Trucks USA – North America
• WABCO North America

The National Transportation Safety Board (ntsb.gov) was established in 1967 to conduct independent investigations of all civil aviation accidents in the United States and major accidents in the other modes of transportation. It is an independent federal agency that makes recommendations to improve safety and assists victims of transportation accidents and their families.

The National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.