Do you want to share the road with trucks which have bent, rusty, or cracked rear underride guards?
We are encouraged by CVSA’s response to our request that they add underride guards to their vehicle inspections. Guards that are weak to begin with become even weaker when they are not properly maintained.
“There are currently 15 items on the CVSA out-of-service criteria that render a commercial motor vehicle operator unqualified to drive if their trucks do not meet CVSA standards,” the [senators’] letter said. “This list includes lighting devices, windshield, wipers and frame of the vehicle.”
But NOT underride guards!
We’ll keep you updated on the results of their research across the country, August 27-31.
Seems like a smart way to monitor large trucks to catch safety violations:
The cameras and scales along I-85 scan and weigh commercial vehicles, allowing troopers to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively.
“Rather than a trooper just ride around burning fuel looking for violations he can come here use this technology that will track violations when one is headed his direction,” said Sgt. Jarrett.
It’s the newest technology available, the first in a high speed area.
“It takes a picture of their DOT number and the license plate and that’s where the light comes from and it researches the data base and puts that information in a database,” said Randy Braden, Assistant State Maintenance Engineer, ALDOT.
If there’s an infraction, the database will alert a nearby trooper, focusing on commercial vehicle safety and enforcement in real-time, in a time when doing more with less is the norm.
“We’re very, very shorthanded the most I’ve ever seen in my 19 year career so efficiency is key,” said Sgt. Jarrett.
ALDOT says they are in the process of getting the cameras certified and when that happens a sign will be put up explaining their purpose. Alabama transportation officials say they have funding set aside for another camera unit.
Officials say these devices are popping up all over the country due to their low operation cost in comparison to weigh stations. A new weigh station would cost $10-15 million dollars to build while the virtual weigh station cost $300,000 to install. Cameras along I-85 monitoring commercial vehicle safety
Here is an encouraging Vision Zero action. Though it is not good that there is a safety defect in some Volvo trucks, at least decisive action is being taken by Volvo to recall the vehicles, as well as action by FMCSA to declare these trucks Out-Of-Service if they are found on the road without the necessary repair.
On February 16, 2016, Volvo Trucks initiated a safety recall affecting nearly 16,000 Class 8 motor vehicles in the United States. According to Volvo, a condition exists which could lead to separation of the steering shaft from the junction block.
Also, the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not have been properly tightened. Volvo’s report to NHTSA states that either condition can lead to separation of the steering shaft and immediate loss of steering ability and control, which could lead to a crash.
Volvo Trucks issued a Safety Recall Alert on March 10, which directed all owners of the affected vehicles to take the vehicles out of operation as soon as possible and cautioned that the separation can occur without warning and amended its safety recall on March 15, alerting NHTSA of the more serious hazard.
Volvo Trucks strongly recommends that these vehicles remain out of service until repairs are made. NHTSA is overseeing Volvo Truck’s recall efforts to ensure prompt notification of the defect to vehicle owners and that vehicles are not operated in a defective condition. . .
Additionally, to assist with notification efforts, on March 18, 2016, FMCSA posted an Inspection Bulletin on its website.
