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road safety

$905 Million Dedicated to INFRA Grants, DOT Says

July 18, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Transportation will be offering $905 million in Infrastructure for Rebuilding American program grants, announced Pete Buttigieg, along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, at the end of June.

This grant program awards funds to certain transportation projects that are deemed nationally and regionally significant and aim to boost overall economic growth and public safety. 24 projects across 18 U.S. states will receive grants from these funds in their efforts, which include projects facilitating the improved movement of goods.

Of these funds, $46.8 million will likely be allocated to the Georgia Ports Authority for its efforts in building a new Gainesville inland container port near interstate 85 and interstate 985–the Northeast Georgia Inland Port. This will also be directly linked to the Port of Savannah by rail and will aim to lower amounts of truck-related pollution and overall carbon emissions, Buttigieg explained.

“This will be linked to Port of Savannah by direct 324-mile intermodal freight rail service and create meaningful economic opportunities in the region while also significantly reducing the vehicle miles traveled by truck,” said Buttigieg.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will also receive $30 million for its traffic flow-improving construction projects between state Routes 57 and 60. The confluence of these routes has been designated as a chokepoint, Mayor Garcetti noted. Many cargo-carrying trucks bringing goods out of Los Angeles County ports often become stuck within the congestion of this corridor, and smoothing out this traffic will help the environment much more than keeping these trucks idled in traffic, Garcetti added.

“This is not going to increase our climate emissions,” he said. “This is where, notoriously, we have accidents that sometimes will take two hours to clear. These goods have to move–period. Together with the administration, we are looking at the electrification of trucks and infrastructure. But in the meantime, we expect this to be a reduction of emissions through this grant.”

The Department of Transportation has chosen the projects for funding due to their ability to create jobs and improve local and regional economies, and has also assessed how certain projects would address issues like environmental justice and racial equity. Because of these values, around 44% of this funding has been designated to rural areas that have endured long-term underinvestment.

Pennsylvania is receiving funding for one project to improve its rural freight corridor SR 61, as well as for one project to build a multi-use berth at its Port of Philadelphia. Additionally, the South Dakota Department of Transportation will receive $62.5 million to rebuild 28 miles of interstate 90 on the eastern side of the state, which will include road surface repair and replacement as well as the addition of designated truck parking spaces in both westbound and eastbound rest stops.

Under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015, DOT must alert congressional authorizing committees in regards to the projects chosen under the INFRA grant program. Before the awards are officially finalized, the selected projects will stay with these authorizing committees for a two-month review period.

As of now, there are not yet enough resources to meet the national demand for INFRA grants–in fact, the DOT has only been able to offer funding to around one-seventh of all state projects requesting funds, Buttigieg explained. 157 applications for grants from 42 different states and Guam requested a total of $6.8 billion.

“We need to invest in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure,” said Governor Wolf. “We really need to do this. We need to return to the common attachment we all seemed to have at one point–to the idea that a robust infrastructure has always been at the heart of our national prosperity.”

The announcement of this grant comes as many lawmakers are working to reach a bipartisan infrastructure deal agreement, which was announced by a group of legislators, along with President Biden, at the end of last month.

AV Makers Must Report All Crashes, NHTSA Mandates

July 17, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Automakers must report all crashes that involve either partially automated driver-assist systems or fully autonomous vehicles, as recently ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The American government’s highway safety agency has made it clear it will be cracking down in regards to overall automated vehicle safety–more than it has in the past. Until recently, the agency had still not issued any automated tech-related regulations due to hesitancy about interfering with the adoption of these innovative safety systems.

The mandate, which was released at the end of June, will require that companies operating vehicles equipped with driver-assist systems or operating completely autonomous vehicles, as well as the vehicle and equipment manufacturers themselves, must immediately report autonomous vehicle-involved crashes that occur on public roads. If a driver-assist system was being utilized immediately before or during a crash on a public road, that crash must also be reported.

“By mandating crash reporting, the agency will have access to critical data that will help quickly identify safety issues that could emerge in these automated systems,” said Steven Cliff, Acting Administrator for NHTSA.

Through these reports, NHTSA will be able to identify safety defects and issue a defect investigation or even deploy a crash investigation team when needed. The agency has already dispatched investigation teams to analyze 31 crashes that involved partially automated driver-assist systems over the last six years. Out of those crashes, 25 in particular were using Tesla’s autopilot system and reported 10 deaths, according to the agency’s data.

These kinds of driver-assist systems are meant to help keep a vehicle at a safe distance from any vehicles in front of it as well as keep the vehicle centered in its designated lane. Still, though, most manufacturers, and Tesla itself, make sure drivers know that although the system may be operating on autopilot, they must still be alert and ready at all times to intervene when necessary. In fact, there have been instances of Teslas using the company’s autopilot system and hitting a roadway barrier, crashing into semi trucks crossing in front of them, and getting in the way of emergency vehicles.

The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating these crashes and has recommended that Tesla, along with the NHTSA, only allow Tesla’s autopilot system to be operated in the areas where it is known to be able to safely do so. NHTSA should also mandate that Tesla develop an improved system that ensures drivers must be paying attention, the NTSB recommended. As of now, there have been no changes made by NHTSA.

These agencies are also looking into a myriad of non-fatal partially automated system-involved crashes in vehicles like a Volvo XC-90, a Lexus RX450H, and two Cadillac CT6s. Some investigative teams have also been deployed to look into a crash involving an Uber-operated Volvo XC-90 (during which a pedestrian was struck and killed), as well as a crash involving an automated Navya Arma low-speed shuttle bus.

“Collecting crash data, and hopefully data from crashes which were avoided, can help serve a variety of purposes from enforcing current laws to ensuring the safety of customers, as well as paving the way for reasonable regulations to encourage the deployment of safe advanced vehicle technology,” explained executive director for the Center for Auto Safety, Jason Levin. The Center for Auto Safety is an advocacy group and nonprofit and has been urging the NHTSA for years to implement strict oversight onto automated vehicle usage.

According to this order, companies will need to report all crashes involving partially automated vehicles or fully autonomous vehicles within one day, as long as they were serious enough to require a tow-away or involve a death, air bag deployment, hospital-treated injury, or any pedestrians or bicyclists.

Additionally, the requirement will not apply to consumers owning autonomous or partially autonomous vehicles or to the auto dealers selling these vehicles. All other crashes involving these kinds of vehicles that involve property damage or injury must be reported once a month.

Truck Speed Limiters Bill Introduced in House of Representatives

June 28, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

A bill requiring speed limiters for commercial trucks has been introduced within the U.S. House of Representatives, and has been named the Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act.

The act will aim to urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure all commercial motor vehicles have speed-limiting technology implemented onboard. This technology would either have a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour preset, or a speed of 70 miles per hour preset in collaboration with a truck’s automatic emergency braking systems and adaptive cruise control systems. 

The bill currently has bipartisan sponsorship by Representatives Lucy McBath of Georgia and John Katko of New York, and is named for Cullum Owings. Owings was killed when a tractor-trailer on cruise control struck his passenger vehicle in 2002.

“The safety and security of our families, our friends, and our loved ones is always of the utmost priority,” said McBath when the legislation was first introduced in late May. “The Owings family has done so much to protect other children like Cullum, and I want to thank them for all they have done. This is an important, bipartisan step to make our roadways safer, protect drivers, and stop these heartbreaking crashes from happening.”

Cullum’s father, Steve Owings, co-founded the safety organization Road Safe America following the incident, and believes the act will help prevent other parents of children from experiencing a loss like the one he and his family had to endure.

“Our lives changed forever in the worst of ways after a speeding truck driver using cruise control crashed into our son’s car, [which was] stopped in an interstate traffic jam as he headed back to college after Thanksgiving Break,” said Owings. “Back then, Susan and I were completely unaware that most large trucks already had speed limiter technology built in, which could have saved our son’s life had it been used. We are so thankful to Representative McBath for understanding the grief of losing a child and for introducing the Cullum Owings Large Truck Safe Operating Speed Act to ensure other families do not suffer the same needless loss we deal with every day because of speeding big rigs.”

The bill was submitted for consideration to a committee of jurisdiction, and gained support from Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia during its previous Congressional session. Now, many freight stakeholders have begun backing the legislation, and Road Safe America, along with American Trucking Associations, requested support for speed limiter guidelines from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg earlier in 2021.

In their letter to Buttifieg, the groups noted the 2016 rule making proposal that requested a speed limiter rule, as well as the recent updates within driver assist safety technologies. In the 2016 proposal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urged for a requirement that would ensure speed-limiting devices be implemented onto trucks, buses, and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds. Additionally, maximum top speeds were recommended in the proposal–of 60, 65, or 68 miles per hour.

It is clear that ATA is worried about strict regulations regarding speed limitations for all commercial motor vehicles.

“When the Department of Transportation initially published the 2016 notice of proposed rule making, ATA and many motor carriers shared several concerns about the efficacy of a one-size-fits-all solution applied to a sector as complex and nuanced as trucking,” wrote ATA President Chris Spear and Road Safe America in their letter to Buttigieg. “Foremost among them were the unintended and potentially dangerous consequences of limiting commercial drivers to one universal speed limit despite the varying limits set for passenger vehicles on interstate and secondary roads.”

The groups added that they were particularly worried about the rule’s longevity as safety technology continues to evolve and more and more commercial trucks are receiving regular tech upgrades than ever.

“Another question is how such a rule would adapt to the rapid evolution taking place in vehicle safety technology,” the letter continued.

Post-Pandemic Roadways Seeing More Traffic Once Again–What Does That Mean for Safety?

June 17, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 22: Rush hour traffic fills the 101 freeway on March 22, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. According to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Los Angeles ranks only behind New York with the dirtiest and most hazardous air to breathe. Although Angelinos breathe cleaner air than they did in the 1970’s, they face a cancer risk that is about twice the national average. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, we reported on data showing that although stay-at-home orders had cleared up a majority of traffic congestion throughout the nation’s roadways, overall levels of road safety had remained incredibly low.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic has exposed our road safety culture for what it is,” explained National Safety Council President and CEO, Lorraine Martin, at the time. “We did not reap the safety benefits we should have experienced.”

Martin noted that the clearer roadways motivated many drivers to drive much more carelessly than usual, and drivers are often tempted to reach dangerous speeds when roads are empty–they often may also fail to use a seat belt due to a false sense of security.

“It’s clear that our open roads have created somewhat of an open season for reckless driving,” Martin added.

Now, it seems that even those who did drive safely–or stayed home completely–during the pandemic have had trouble adjusting to roadways getting crowded once again as more drivers return to work, according to industry experts.

“What we’re observing is that as the rest of us get back on those roads, we’ve forgotten how to share the road,” said Geotab’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, Colin Sutherland. ”We see cars pulling in directly in front of heavy-duty trucks on the highway, forgetting that heavy-duty trucks need more room for braking than the car does.”

In an effort to boost overall roadway safety, Geotab–a vehicle tracking service–collaborated in a campaign with Together for Safer Roads during the United Nations’ recent Global Road Safety Week. During the campaign, the two organizations called on commercial fleets to help bring an end to speed-related road accidents.

As we approach the Summer months, Sutherland warns that these days are the most important to stay particularly safe and aware while driving, as the number of road trips rises and more people than usual hit the road.

“That’s being borne out [of] the increase in accidents that are happening on the road today,” he explained. “An increase over pre-COVID, which is very scary.”

In 2020, America’s roadways saw more vehicle crash deaths than they have in the past 13 years–42,060 people are believed to have died in fatal crashes–8% more than in 2019, even though fewer people were driving throughout the year. All motor vehicle total miles driven even fell by 13% in 2020 from 2019.

The Safety Management Council of American Trucking Associations is currently studying the traffic changes and their effects from the COVID-19 pandemic while we wait for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to release its official 2020 truck and bus accident report.

“We are starting a benchmarking group and will hopefully have this data more readily available,” said ATA’s Safety Management Council executive director, Jacob Pierce. “There are [fewer] cars on the road, so you’d figure that there would be [fewer] accidents. However, [fewer] cars on the road equals probably more passenger vehicles driving [with more risk], driving faster, [and] really not paying attention.”

In regards to the differences that are expected between roadway activity as people return to the roads after lockdown and how drivers behaved on the roads during the pandemic, there is no way to make any real predictions.

“It could go either way,” explained Angela Savino, a business law attorney at Perez Morris. “There certainly was more trucking activity. So, [given] that alone, you might think there was an uptick. But It was a whole different set of circumstances–just the congestion on the road was different”

Many industry experts were genuinely shocked at the data coming from roadway traffic accidents in 2020.

“The last year had a surprising amount of activity–from my perspective–[more] than would have been expected,” said Bluewire’s chief legal officer, Doug Marcello. “Anecdotally, I had more accidents that we were engaged to deal with immediately over the first month of the pandemic than I did most other months, and all of them were situations where four-wheelers had thrown caution to the wind and ended up striking the truck in some way.”

COVID’s Economic Effect Means State Lawmakers May Raise Taxes to Fund Road and Bridge Repairs

June 12, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

States are currently “waiting to see what direction the federal government is going to be taking” in regards to raising state infrastructure taxes, according to American Road and Transportation Builders Association advocacy director, Carolyn Kramer.

Tax raising plans have seen little movement through 2021, although many Democratic and Republican lawmakers have often been in agreement in regards to these plans relating to the updating and improvement of bridges and roads throughout the country.

Additionally, the amount of infrastructure boosts and repairs needed has grown steadily while the funds available to do so have declined, likely due to revenue challenges brought about during the COVID-19 era.

However, while many states plan to raise fuel taxes as soon as possible, others aren’t currently seeing the need.

“It looks like a cruise ship sitting in a pond–that’s how much money we’re getting flowing into the state of Colorado from the federal government,” explained Senator Ray Scott of Colorado. “If Biden does get this pushed through and we have additional funding coming our way, why would we go after the taxpayer when we have ways we can handle it right now?”

Some of Colorado’s Democratic legislators plan to raise electric and hybrid vehicle sales fees, retail delivery service fees, ride-sharing company fees, and gasoline sales fees, although Senator Scott is working to create an upgraded transportation plan on any boost in federal funding.

Per capita spending on Colorado transportation has dropped by nearly half in the last 20 years, while gas tax rates throughout the states have remained the same. In regards to an updated state funding plan, Colorado hasn’t undergone a legislative hearing.

“Colorado’s transportation system is so far behind that we need federal investment and we need state-level investment,” said Senator Faith Winter.

Fewer than 170 transportation funding bills have been proposed in 2021 throughout the country, which is only half the number proposed by state lawmakers in 2019. No transportation tax rates increases have been passed, either.

In the works: President Joe Biden has proposed $135 billion for American road and bridge projects (as part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan) and has also signed a coronavirus relief package–including $350 billion for state and local government projects. Many states, including Indiana and Maryland are working to use this funding on a variety of transportation upgrade projects while other states are using their allocated funds in accordance with future federal guidance. 

In regards to Biden’s road and bridge funding, Republican Senators have opposed this plan with a counter proposal of $299 billion for infrastructure projects. Congress is also in the process of approving a long-term highway program renewal that would funnel billions to states on an annual basis.

Additionally, Congress is being pushed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to double current funding limits and bring about another $485 billion five-year highway program, along with a $200 billion road-and-bridge stimulus.

For North Dakota, recent legislature has passed a $680 million infrastructure bonding plan that would focus on flood-control infrastructure projects as well as $70 million for bridge and road projects–bonds which would be repaid with state oil tax savings earnings as opposed to the Senate-defeated 3-cent gas tax raise.

North Dakota’s bridge and road spending can be funded with the help of federal coronavirus relief package funds and possibly a federal infrastructure bill, according to North Dakota Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner. A gas tax boost is not needed thanks to the state’s oil fund, he explained.

Many states have come back quickly from the revenue obstacles brought about by COVID-19-related restrictions, even seeing budget surpluses at the hands of federal aid and income tax revenue.

“You cannot sell a tax increase to the public at a time when you’ve got something like $4 billion sitting in your checkbook,” explained Senator Tom Bakk of Minnesota. “That’s just not going to happen.”

29 states have raised fuel taxes since 2013, and these increases, for the sake of road and bridge projects, have received strong support from both republicans and democrats. Still, no states have implemented such an increase since Virginia’s fuel tax increase at the start of COVID-19’s economic effects on the country.

Still, many government officials who oppose any fuel tax increases–regardless of their potential benefit to state infrastructure–have explained that, especially coming out of coronavirus-related economic struggles, many people should not only not have to bear the burden of these revenue deficits, but too many people wouldn’t be able to afford it.

“Adding another almost 10 cents a gallon to the price of their commute, they just wouldn’t be able to handle it,” said Alaska state Representative Kevin McCabe.

New Bill Aims to Finally End Distracted Driving for All

June 4, 2021 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Distracted driving is an issue for everyone who shares the road, and cellphone use while operating a commercial motor vehicle or while driving near a truck can lead to fatal accidents.

Because of this, American Trucking Associations has formally expressed its support for a federal bill that would work to end the usage of cellphones while driving for all drivers–passenger vehicle drivers and truckers alike.

In February of this year, the Safe to Drive Act–a bipartisan bill–was introduced to the House and the Senate. The legislation would allocate up to a quarter of the U.S Department of Transportation’s funds within national priority safety program grants to states that can show they have set forth a statute regarding distracted driving that: can be used for drivers of any age, bans any handheld cellphone use or handheld use of any personal communication device while driving, and ensures that the violation of said statute is a primary offense.

“The trucking industry knows all too well the dangers of distracted driving and the threat it poses to all motorists, not just our professional truck drivers whose workplace is our nation’s roadways,” said Dan Horvath, Vice President of ATA’s Safety Policy, in a recent letter to transportation leaders in both the House and the Senate. “Ensuring all drivers are educated about the dangers of distracted driving, and effective enforcement of common-sense highway safety laws, will greatly aid our shared goal of zero highway fatalities.”

While many may assume that accidents involving a passenger vehicle and at least one truck due to distracted driving may be the fault of a trucker, Horvath noted that typically, these incidents are caused by dangerous behavior demonstrated by passenger vehicle drivers.

“Although 70 percent of fatal crashes involving a large truck and passenger vehicle are initiated by the actions of, or are the fault of, a passenger vehicle–there is now federal law preventing passenger vehicle drivers from using handheld mobile devices while driving,” he said. “Our nation’s professional truck drivers see distracted drivers all the time, and, unfortunately, no level of defensive driving can prevent all accidents from occurring.”

Current federal mandates restrict truck drivers from operating vehicles while using any handheld devices at any time–even while stopped at a traffic light.

“Given data showing the majority of car-truck collisions are the result of passenger driver behavior, extending those bans to all drivers and not just truck drivers will have a positive impact on safety,” Horvath added.

According to ATA, the Safe to Drive Act will be a “tremendous opportunity” for the country and the transportation industry to focus upon and allocate helpful resources to all accidents that are so often caused by distracted drivers–the kinds of accidents that can be hard for a truck driver to avoid.

“In commercial trucking, we require drivers to keep their eyes on the road ahead at all times–and we should expect the same vigilance of every motorist on the road,” said Horvath. “Sadly, convenient access to social media and streaming services has only increased the number of potential road hazards, leading to increases in the quantity and severity of distracted driving incidents.”

In fact, many truck drivers are incredibly surprised–and horrified–to learn about how often distracted driving really occurs on the road and how tricky it can be to anticipate the accidents that may accompany those distractions.

“I have seen everything from texting, to putting makeup on, to even reading a newspaper while driving,” said YRC Freight truck driver, Steve Fields. “Taking your eyes off of the road for just two seconds compromises highway safety. Anything we can do to reduce distraction is a good thing.”

This legislation’s co-sponsors hope that this kind of bill will help bring an end to these easily avoidable dangers once and for all.

“When drivers take their eyes off of the road, they endanger themselves, other drivers, and pedestrians,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar. “This legislation will help ensure states have the resources to create safer roads for all and ultimately, save lives.”

The number of deaths in accidents that involved distracted drivers made up 8.7 percent of all roadway deaths in 2019–a total of 3,142 fatalities at the hands of cellphone use or other distractions while operating a motor vehicle.

“This represents an increase of 284 fatalities than the previous year–an increase of 9.9 percent,” Horvath explained. “This trend is unacceptable for highway safety. Although numerous factors contribute to highway crashes, driver distraction as a result of mobile devices is not accidental. Moreover, it is completely preventable.”

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