This is an excellent brief summary of the literature. Albanese is quite right that “safe rates” gets the public a safer outcome. The literature the expert cites is quite competent (Australians are way ahead of Americans on this) and is some of the same literature I would cite, and have cited, in my own work. I see that this expert has cited my work, which I modestly think is valid and has been peer reviewed.
Studies my team performed for the US Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Administration in 2002 demonstrated that higher compensation led to significantly safer truck driver performance. For every 10% more in truck driver mileage pay rate, a very large American truckload carrier found that the probability that a driver would have a crash declined 40%.
A recent video also showed how the feature prevented a collision with a truck. In the video, it looks as if the truck driver never noticed that the car was there. The Tesla car simply moves and avoids the truck.
What happens if the car moves to avoid the truck and, in so doing, collides with another vehicle? Is it possible for automated technology to prevent domino-effect collisions? After all, every action has a reaction. But then, if it can be done safer than a fallible human and the bugs are worked out before widely implementing. . .
It appears that our truck crash has rendered me a cynical skeptic. Hopeful, though. And persistently pursuing perfection. Nothing less than the best possibilities.
And I am thankful for the many who are working on multiple means of creating safer travel.
This morning, my granddaughter was showing me drawings that she has been making. It made me think of how creative AnnaLeah & Mary were (each in her own way) and the sketchbooks which I have in a drawer. I got one of them out and then was confused: was this drawing made by Mary or AnnaLeah? And when was it made?
I’ve been thinking about the challenge of improving the traffic safety outlook even with the promises of collision avoidance technology and self-driving vehicles. I keep thinking: What about the fact that many people still own and buy used cars? So, today, I finally looked it up.
How long will it take for the whole system to hold safer technology? And, meanwhile, will we do what can be done along other fronts to make our roads safer?
Considering the constant fatalities, rampant pollution, and exorbitant costs of ownership, there is no better word to characterize the car’s dominance than insane.
. . . cars’ most dramatic cost: They waste lives. They are one of America’s leading causes of avoidable injury and death, especially among the young. Oddly, the most immediately devastating consequence of the modern car—the carnage it leaves in its wake—seems to generate the least public outcry and attention. Jim McNamara, a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol, where officers spend 80 percent of their time responding to car wrecks, believes such public inattention and apathy arise whenever a problem is “massive but diffuse.”
This sounds like a great conference put on by the Center for Study of Responsive Law with Ralph Nader. Wish I could go:
“The theme of this citizen mobilization will be elaborating ways to break through power to secure long-overdue democratic solutions made possible by a new muscular civic nexus between local communities and Washington, D.C. On these four days, speakers will present innovative ideas and strategies designed to take existing civic groups to higher levels of effectiveness.”
I thank my God always concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,
so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Love, Mom
I read these verses this morning and immediately thought of AnnaLeah and Mary. I had been planning on writing a post on April 28, the day of Mary’s Confirmation Questioning in 2013–the Sunday before our crash on May 4–though she never went through her formal Confirmation Service (was to have been in June).
I am thankful for the life and faith of AnnaLeah and Mary Lydia and that they are eagerly awaiting the revelation of their Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, who will confirm them to the end, until we all–together–stand in His presence. Joy unspeakable!
On May 5, 2016, over 65 representatives from the trucking industry, government, safety advocates, engineers, crash reconstructionists, attorneys, and media will be on hand at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Vehicle Research Center to discuss and demonstrate truck underride crashes.
In addition, the Underride Roundtable, which will be taking place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will be available to watch via livestreaming–with viewer interaction anticipated. The webcast link will be provided here when it is available.
In order to prepare for that, I am going to highlight some past and current underride research papers and efforts here. It will, of course, not cover everything and others are welcome to send additional information my way, which I would be more than happy to add to the list.
Although most of the research below will not appear as a presentation on the agenda, I am hopeful that the information will be considered by all as recommendations for underride protection are discussed and proposed.
I had actually wanted to put together a packet of this kind of information to hand out to participants. Then I thought that it might be more useful to provide it to a wider audience by posting it on our website. So here it is.
In addition, I have prepared a feedback form to enable you to let me know what you think should be done about truck underride protection. I am hoping to get a good response and will compile any results which I receive before the Underride Roundtable, as well as after the event.
Although I don’t know all the names and details, I imagine that there are countless individuals and organizations who have contributed, over a span of many years, to the discussion and development of underride protection. I am thankful that we can build upon that foundation.
Here is some of the research which I have come across in my search for the best possible protection.
And last, but not least, out of the mouths of babes. . .
NOTE: I will likely be updating this post as we get closer to the Underride Roundtable on May 5, 2016! And, of course, I can hardly wait to post the results of the Roundtable itself!
In memory of AnnaLeah & Mary, Precious Ones whose lives were cut far too short.
