Volpe Center Highlights
Safety
Focus |
Safety |
Mobility |
Human and Natural Environment |
Economic Growth and Trade |
National Security |
Published and Presented
Promote public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths, injuries, and property damage.
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Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Effectiveness (FHWA)
Dr. Bahar Barami, of the Center's Economic Analysis Division, and team members Marsha Haines and Tara Goodman, recently completed a preliminary draft of a report to Congress on "Enforcement Effectiveness in Reducing Commercial Vehicle Accidents" for FHWA's Office of Motor Carriers. The report identifies the traffic enforcement factors that reduce the frequency and severity of trucking accidents, and evaluates the effectiveness of earmarking funds for traffic enforcement safety programs. It also includes a review of the literature on accident trends and causes, which shows a marked shift over the past two decades in causes of trucking accidents from mechanical defects to human factors. In truck-at-fault accidents, for instance, driver error accounted for some 94 percent of all accidents. A number of strategies were evaluated for changing driver behavior --particularly the behavior of the automobile driver, who accounts for more than 67 percent of the accidents. The data sources used for the report were accident data trends, academic research findings, the results of several demonstration projects, and field observations in Maryland, Missouri, and New York.
High-Speed Ground Transportation Safety Presentation (FRA)
The importance of rail safety research was heightened earlier this year with the fatal crash of an Amtrak train and Maryland commuter train (MARC), near Silver Spring, MD in February. As part of the Volpe Center's efforts to help FRA learn from, and prevent, such accidents, Ms. Stephanie Markos, of the Center's Accident Prevention Division, recently participated in the Emergency Operations at Rail Transportation Incidents Seminar at the National Fire Protection Administration Centennial Annual Meeting, held in Boston, MA. Ms. Markos presented a general overview of considerations associated with passenger train emergency response, including operational environment, passenger characteristics, on-board crew knowledge of emergency procedures and equipment, and emergency responder availability. Her presentation was to the joint meeting of the Rail Transportation and Fire Service sections, which attended the seminar.
In a related activity, Ms. Markos has played a key role in supporting FRA's passenger train emergency rulemaking, which was recently finalized. The foundation for this rulemaking is based on a report written by Ms. Markos, which was published in 1993 by FRA's Office of Research and Development: "Recommended Emergency Preparedness Guidelines for Passenger Trains." The proposed rulemaking, "FRA Passenger Train Emergency Preparedness," is required by Congress in Public Law 103-440.
Highway Rail Grade Crossing Wayside Horn Safety Research (FRA)
At the request of Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA), the Volpe Center recently provided a presentation of audible warning device research at a town meeting in Acton, MA. Representatives from FRA's Office of Safety discussed the rule-making activities associated with the sounding of train horns and the preemption of existing whistle bans. The Volpe Center discussed the effects of audible warnings on motorist safety at highway-rail grade crossings and on community noise impact. Mr. John Hitz, Ms. Anya Carrol, and Dr. Jordan Multer represented the Center at this event, which also featured a presentation by Dr. Multer on the Center's present research evaluating the relative effectiveness of an experimental wayside-mounted horn. This program assesses a wide variety of human performance considerations and operational issues associated with locomotive conspicuity, passive warning signs, freight car reflectorization, mobile barriers and audible warning systems.
Expert Testimony Relating to Alcohol Countermeasures Technology (NHTSA)
The Volpe Center is supporting NHTSA in discharging legislatively mandated responsibilities by conducting studies of techniques for measuring alcohol in human breath and blood. The studies include evaluation of breath-alcohol testing procedures and practices of state law-enforcement agencies. At the request and funding of the Florida State Attorney General's Office, Dr. Arthur Flores, of the Safety and Environmental Technology Division, was recently in Clearwater, FL to provide testimony at a pre-trial hearing. The hearing was to determine that the evidential breath-alcohol tester used by the local law-enforcement agencies complies with all performance requirements of NHTSA's conforming products list, and that the breath-testing procedure is sound in all respects. Dr. Flores is a recognized expert in this field and has been requested on several occasions by state law enforcement organizations to testify as to the accuracy of breath-alcohol tester technology.
