Date/Time | Presenter/Affiliation | Description/Duration |
4/14/2010 1:00 p.m. eastern | Chris Flanigan Technology Division | FMCSA Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems Program: Heavy Truck Field Operational Test Preliminary Results The goal of the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) Program is to demonstrate technologies needed to equip both light vehicles and heavy trucks with advanced driver assistance systems designed to help drivers avoid the most common types of deadly crashes: forward collision, lane change/merge, and road departure. Information was developed on how best to communicate warnings from an integrated system covering multiple hazards to the driver. To understand the safety benefits of the system, as well as driver behavior and acceptance, a field operational test (FOT) was conducted using 10 heavy trucks with 18 drivers. In this webinar, Chris Flanigan of the ART Technology Division will give an overview of FMCSA’s involvement in the IVBSS Program and James Sayer, IVBSS Program Director from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, will discuss the heavy truck FOT and provide some preliminary results. 60 minutes |
2/24/2010 1:00 p.m. eastern | Michael Johnsen Analysis Division | FMCSA Pre-employment Screening Program The Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) is a new, national-level program designed to allow motor carriers to see a driver’s crash and inspection file when they apply for employment with the motor carrier. The program, required by Congress through the latest transportation reauthorization bill, SAFETEA-LU, is voluntary, and the driver must give consent to allow his or her records to be viewed by their potential employer. The driver record will be comprised of data found in FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Information Management System, or MCMIS. FMCSA is taking every possible measure to assure the data is protected and handled according to all applicable laws and regulations. The Analysis Division’s Michael Johnsen will provide an update of the PSP, which is currently under development and expected to be available to the public in early 2010. 60 minutes |
2/17/2010 1:00 p.m. eastern | Ralph Craft Analysis Division | National Truck and Bus Crash Picture 2008 motor vehicle crash data shows a dramatic drop in truck crash-related deaths and injuries, a large decrease in truck driver deaths, an increase in motor coach fatalities, and a decline in truck and bus crash rates measured against FMCSA’s goals. In this webinar, Dr. Ralph Craft, from the FMCSA Office of Analysis, Research and Technology, will focus on these differences, and present additional data in areas such as crashes of trucks carrying hazardous materials, types of trucks involved in crashes, and driver related crash factors for both large trucks and the passenger vehicles involved in crashes with trucks. 60 minutes |
1/20/2010 1:00 p.m. eastern | Jon Mueller Technology Division | IntelliDrive Safety Applications for Commercial Vehicles The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) IntelliDriveSM program is focused on advancing connectivity among vehicles and roadway infrastructure in order to significantly improve the safety and mobility of the U.S. transportation system. The IntelliDrive Program is a major initiative of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s Intelligent Transportation Systems Program, in collaboration with many organizations throughout DOT, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration. This webinar will provide an overview of the IntelliDrive program, as well as more detailed information on the research plans for Vehicle to Vehicle and Vehicle to Infrastructure safety applications specific to commercial vehicles. In addition, there will be discussion of the establishment of an IntelliDrive Commercial Vehicle Safety Working Group, envisioned to include vehicle equipment manufacturers, suppliers, fleets, researchers, and other stakeholders who are interested in participating in the research, development, and deployment of IntelliDrive Commercial Vehicle Safety Applications. 90 minutes |
12/10/2009 1:00 p.m. eastern | Martin Walker Research Division | Introduction to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Web-Based Driving Tips Website Even the most well-trained, safety-conscious commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver is at risk of engaging in driving behaviors that could lead to a crash on today’s crowded highways. Weather conditions or road conditions change and suddenly “driving too fast for conditions” becomes a risk factor. Failing to look or looking and not seeing, impaired performance because of fatigue, inattention or daydreaming or an unexpected external distraction can all lead to a truck crash. With that in mind, FMCSA has developed a Web site to raise the consciousness of CMV drivers about common driving errors and to provide valuable driving tips through an easily accessible tool—the Internet. Fleet safety managers can also use this information to support their driver training programs. In this webinar, drivers, fleet managers and other interested stakeholders will be given an introduction to the Web site, what it contains, and how to use it to their best advantage. 60 minutes |
11/12/2009 1:00 p.m. eastern | Jeff Loftus Technology Division | Smart Infrared Inspection System – Preliminary Field Test Results Through a research grant from the FMCSA, the International Electronic Machines Corporation developed and tested a Smart Infrared Inspection System (SIRIS) at numerous locations including the FMCSA Commercial Motor Vehicle Roadside Technology Corridor along Interstate 81 in Eastern Tennessee. This webinar will showcase the intelligent capabilities of the SIRIS thermal imaging system, which is now capable of automatically evaluating each vehicle as it passes and, via a combined audio and visual alert, notify inspectors in the scale house of possible issues with a particular vehicle. Jeff Loftus, Technology Division Transportation Specialist, will present the results of the SIRIS system demonstration in April 2009 and follow-on field operational test in August 2009, which evaluated a combined total of over 7,000 vehicles. 60 minutes |
9/9/2009 1:00 p.m. eastern | Betsy Benkowski Analysis Division | Safety Data Improvement Program Grant Funding for 2010 Betsy Benkowski, Team Leader of the FMCSA State Data Quality Team will present information regarding the availability of Safety Data Improvement Program (SaDIP) grant funding for FY 2010, and how to apply. This webinar is open to FMCSA headquarters and field staff as well as our State partners (including SAFETYNET users, CVARS and SaDIP recipients, and professionals involved with crash and inspection data collection, and Data Q’s) and potential future State partners. 60 minutes |
7/22/2009 12:00 p.m. eastern | Olu Ajayi Research Division | Evaluating the Safety Benefits of a Low Cost Driver Behavior Management System - Preliminary Results FMCSA’s Research Division sponsored a study to evaluate the safety benefits of a low-cost driver behavior management system (DBMS) called DriveCam. The objective of this research was to provide an independent evaluation of the safety benefits of a commercially available low-cost DBMS in commercial motor vehicle operations. The DriveCam System integrates in-vehicle video, driving performance management software, and driver counseling to reduce poor driving and its resulting impacts and costs. This recently-completed study was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). It involved two commercial vehicle carriers, one local/short haul and one long-haul operation and a total of 100 large trucks. Jeff Hickman, the research coordinator at VTTI for this study, will present the findings from it in this webinar. The results demonstrate that the DBMS, DriveCam, significantly reduced the mean rate of safety-related events per 10,000 miles traveled. 60 minutes |
7/8/2009 12:00 p.m. eastern | Michael Johnsen Analysis Division | Weather and Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety FMCSA's Analysis Division conducted a study to analyze how existing weather conditions affect commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety and operations, and to investigate potential impacts of climate change on weather conditions. In this webinar, Environmental Protection Specialist Michael Johnsen will present an overview of the specific types of adverse weather conditions examined and how climate change may alter the distribution, frequency, duration and intensity of such weather events. It will further examine how an increase in severe storms could impact CMV practices and require responses in FMCSA regulatory enforcement. 60 minutes |
6/24/2009 12:00 p.m. eastern | Julie Lane Technology Division | Integrating Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) and Commercial Vehicle Information Systems & Networks (CVISN) The Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) and Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) programs are two FMCSA initiatives designed to improve commercial vehicle safety through the use of advanced technologies and up-to-date safety and credentialing data. The two programs share many of the same philosophies, share a common information systems architecture and also make use of similar data. While the two programs can be deployed separately, states can benefit from designing their CVISN and PRISM deployments simultaneously. In this webinar, Julie Lane of the FMCSA Technology Division will highlight proven and effective means of deploying CVISN and PRISM simultaneously and will discuss the benefits to States that do so. 60 minutes |