Citation

No Author(s) Listed. IIHS Status Rep. 2007; 42(7): 4-5.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article analyzes recent efforts to require automated recorders in the cabs of all trucks, not just those identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as being operated by firms with unusually high numbers of safety violations. A survey by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that 20-25 percent of truck drivers violate work rules, and one in five had fallen asleep at the wheel during the previous month. Additionally, about 45 percent of long-distance trucks are already equipped with recorders, so it wouldn't mean a major financial hardship for businesses. The article gives a history of legislative and regulatory efforts dating back to 1971. The Institute has argued that recorders should be installed to prevent excess driver fatigue and cites the fact that roughly 16,000 people have died in crashes involving tired truck drivers in the past 20 years.