FMCSA Research

1
FMCSA Research Technology Initiatives to
Enhance Commercial Driver Training, Licensing and
Performance Enhancement

• Jerry Robin
• Program Manager, FMCSA Office of Research
  Technology

International Driving Symposium on Human Factors
in Driver Assessment, Training and Vehicle
Design August 14-17, 2001
2
Purpose of Presentation

• Overview FMCSA Mission and Goals
• Overview FMCSA Research and Technology (RT)
  Program Categories
• Discuss several Commercial Driver Performance
  Enhancement Programs
• Address potential future FMCSA R T initiatives

3
Our Mission
Save Lives And Reduce Injuries By Preventing
Truck And Bus Crashes
Our Goal
Reduce the Number Of Deaths And Injuries In Truck
And Bus Crashes By 50 Percent By 2010
4
Fatalities Resulting from a Commercial Motor
Vehicle Crash
Projection to 2,687 by 2010 to reach 50 percent
reduction (98 baseline)
5
Injuries Resulting from a Commercial Motor
Vehicle Crash
Projection to 63,500 by 2010 to reach 50 percent
reduction (98 baseline)
6
Reduce Fatalities and Injuries by

• Improving Enforcement and Compliance Programs
  Target Highest Risk Carriers
• Conducting Innovative RT
• Outreach
• Partnering

7
FMCSA Research Technology Categories

• Driver Safety Performance
• Carrier Safety Compliance
• Vehicle Safety Compliance
• Safety Systems Technologies
• Cross-Cutting Safety Initiatives

8
Selected Commercial Driver Performance
Enhancement Projects

• Truck Simulator Validation Study
• National Advanced Driving Simulator Utilization
  Study
• Commercial Driver Assessment Tool
• Commercial Driver Health and Wellness Program

9
Selected Commercial Driver Performance
Enhancement Programs

• Fatigue Management Technologies Pilot Test
• Driver Retention and Safety Study
• Intelligent Vehicle Initiative Heavy Vehicle
  Platform Generation Zero Operational Field Tests
  
• Potential FMCSA Future Research Programs

10
Truck Simulator Validation (Sim Val) Study

• Assess usefulness and ability of simulators to
  train, test and license CMV drivers
• Examine how simulation based training vs.
  conventional training compare

11
Truck Simulator Validation (Sim Val) Study

• Sim Val is a culmination of several related
  research activities over the past few years 1st
  Simulator Assessment and Research Design
• Research Design - 3 parts
• - Part 1 Forward Transfer of
  Training
• - Part 2 Advanced Simulator
  Capabilities
• - Part 3 Longitudinal Study

12
Truck Simulator Validation (Sim Val) Study

• 2nd Truck Simulator Reassessment in progress
• Sim Val Request for Proposals FY02

13
National Advanced Driving Simulator Utilization
Study

• NADS is a 60M state-of-the-art driving simulator
• Strategy for implementing the NADS into the FMCSA
  RT Program
• FMCSA assess NADS from truck perspective
• Final Report also address possible FMCSA
  NADS-based projects

14
Commercial Driver Assessment Tool

• Commercial Driver Assessment Tool to focus on
  relevant CMV
• Cognitive skills
• Driving performance measures
• Safe driving behaviors
• Procured as a Phase I Small Business Innovative
  Research (SBIR) Project
• Award Announcement Oct 2001

15
Commercial Driver Health and Wellness Program

• Truck driving not provide many opportunities for
  exercise and maintaining a healthy diet
• Truck drivers, in general, have less healthy life
  style than general population
• Exercise helps combat fatigue reduce stress,
  improve alertness and enhance sleep.

16
Commercial Driver Health and Wellness Program

• Getting in Gear Program
• - Refueling
• - Relating
• - Relaxing
• - Rejuvenating
• Getting in Gear Program Kits currently
  available from FMCSA
• Improved driver health and wellness can improve
  highway safety

17
Fatigue Management Technologies Pilot Test

• Congressionally-mandated study
• Technologies to be assessed
• Actigraph
• PERCLOSE
• SafeTRAC
• Howard Powered Center Steering System

18
Fatigue Management Technologies Pilot Test

• Partners include
• - America Trucking Associations Foundation
  Trucking Research Institute
• - Transport Canada
• - University of Pennsylvania
• - Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
• - Carnegie Mellon Research Institute

19
Fatigue Management Technologies Pilot Test

• Data Collection includes
• - Baseline and post-intervention of data on
  driver alertness, performance and individual
  differences
• - Concurrent validated test of driver
  alertness, e.g. psychomotor vigilance test
• - Measure reliability of individual
  differences in alertness across time
• Assess practical benefits of technological
  fatigue countermeasures

20
Fatigue Management Technologies Pilot Test

• Study to be conducted in U.S. and Canada under
  current hours of service rules
• Data collection starts in Canada with Challenger
  Motor Freight
• Data collection starts Fall 2001
• Planned completion Late 2002

21
CMV Driver Retention and Safety

• Turnover rates of 100 common
• Fleets with lower turnover rates, tend to have
  high safety standards and performance
• Is there a link between fleet turnover rates and
  safety?
• Is safety performance the result of a better
  selection of driver? Or,
• More related to acclimation to a particular job
  and route?

22
CMV Driver Retention and Safety

• FMCSA commenced a l-year study in Summer 2001
• Review literature and summarize carrier practices
  to improve driver safety
• Recommend future R T research activities
• Suggest industry interventions

23
Intelligent Vehicle Initiative Heavy Vehicle
Platform- Generation Zero (Gen Zero) Operational
Field Tests

• FMCSA currently conducting 3 Gen Zero Field
  Tests
• Collision Warning Systems
• Smart Highway road hazard warning system
• Rollover Stability Advisor
• Data collection during FYs 01 02
• Projects to be complete Late 2002

24
FMCSA R T Potential Future Research Programs

• Pilot test truck simulators to enhance the
  Commercial Drivers License Program
• Near-miss study and hazard reporting system
• Technologies and educational initiatives

25
FMCSA Website

• www.FMCSA.dot.gov

26

• THANK YOU.