• 09
  • September
    2011

Onboard monitoring systems for drivers are currently under study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to determine if the systems may be used to improve safety in big rigs and prevent truck accidents.

The truck monitoring system combines technology that warns of safety issues-including radar that detects other vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle to warn of collision, and forward-mounted cameras that warn when the truck is drifting into another lane-with technology that evaluates if the driver is fatigued or inattentive. The system processes this information in an onboard computer and provides a warning to the driver if there is a potential danger.

A baseline of the driver's performance without assistance from the device is first established. That baseline is then compared to the driver's performance while using the monitoring system. The goal is to eventually ascertain whether driving improves after receiving the system's feedback, whether the system is able to determine the "risk potential" of a particular driver, if any improvements in driving will last over time, and how drivers react to the monitoring system itself.

Some criticism of the onboard system deals with driver reaction to the device. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) found that the devices themselves can be distracting to drivers on the road, presenting its own safety issue. OOIDA also found that drivers may, in some cases, be penalized by the monitoring system for defensive driving maneuvers.

Those who already use the onboard monitoring systems, however, have found them to be beneficial in improving driver safety. One company uses the onboard monitoring device to provide warnings about changing lanes and potential collisions. Receiving these warnings and feedback from the system alerts drivers to the possibility of a crash, and may, as a result, stop an accident from occurring.

What the FMCSA may do with the results of the study remains a mystery, and with the study continuing until 2014, the answer will not be forthcoming any time soon.

Source: Truckinginfo.com, FMCSA Testing Driver Monitoring Systems, Oliver B. Patton