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TECHNOLOGY on TRUCKS * USA
* DC - Data Shows Speeding and Log Violations are Main CSA Culprits; Technology Can Help
(Photo courtesy of PeopleNet)
Washington,DC,USA -TruckingInfo, by Jim Beach -20 Jan 2012: -- Electronic logs are touted as a high-tech solution for the two leading violations in the Fatigued Driver BASIC: driver's record of duty status is not current and a log violation in general form and manner... When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program in late 2010, a number of carriers were surprised to find a poorer safety rating than they enjoyed under the old SafeStat. Fortunately, for many fleets, the areas where their safety ratings have taken the biggest hit are also areas that are among the easiest to fix, and a variety of technology vendors offer products to help... For instance, if a manager knows that driver A speeds consistently he presents a risk, even if he hasn't been pulled over by law enforcement yet. The same goes for the driver who shows a high level of hard-braking incidents or one who can't keep his logbook straight... * Michigan - Road Safety Agency Is Urged to Add Expertise in Electronics Systems
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images - Last February, a Toyota technician in California repaired a Camry recalled over the possibility of a sticky accelerator pedal)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The New York Times, by BILL VLASIC -January 18, 2012: -- A branch of the National Academy of Sciences reported Wednesday that federal safety regulators lack the expertise to monitor vehicles with increasingly sophisticated electronics... With electronics systems becoming more complex, the agency needs to “gain a stronger understanding” of both the hardware and computer software that automakers are installing in their latest models, the group said... The National Academy of Sciences was asked to review procedures at N.H.T.S.A. after the agency’s investigation of unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles and a possible link to electronic-control systems. The Japanese automaker recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide in 2009 and 2010 to fix sticky accelerator pedals or replace faulty floor mats that Toyota had claimed could cause unintended acceleration... Members of the science committee said that despite its shortcomings, the safety agency had done all that it was capable of doing to determine why Toyotas were suddenly accelerating out of control and causing serious accidents. They concluded that the agency had correctly closed its investigation after failing to find evidence of defects in Toyota’s electronic throttle systems...
* Trying to Nudge Drowsy Drivers
(Photo: As an option in its 2013 Fusion and Explorer, Ford will offer a technology package intended to keep cars in the center of their lanes on the road)
New York,NY,USA -The New York Times, by Randall Stross -January 21, 2012: -- A driverless car is not yet ready for the market. But in the meantime, automakers are continuing to market some components of one. The Ford Motor Company announced last month that it would offer “lane-keeping technology” as an option for its 2013 Ford Fusion and Ford Explorer... When lane-keeping technology works, it can save lives. But it is suited only for certain road conditions, and there are reasons to doubt that it will activate as consistently as it should... Ford’s technology relies on a camera mounted to the rear-view mirror. When the system is switched on and the vehicle is traveling more than 40 miles per hour, it will use the road’s lane markings to sense veering near one edge of the lane or the other. If the turn signal is off, the system will assume that the drift is unintentional and will send a vibration to the steering wheel as a warning... If the driver doesn’t correct the drift, the software is then supposed to engage the power steering and turn the car back toward the center of the lane... When all goes well, this will be flat-out wonderful. But the camera may have difficulty detecting the lane markings — when the sun is at a low angle, for example, or during heavy rainfall or on curves. If it fails to see the markings, it simply remains dormant... 
(Photo: The “Driver Alert System” will warn drivers if it detects a weaving pattern associated with drowsiness) Ford’s new technology package also includes what it calls a “Driver Alert System,” which will provide warnings when the software detects a pattern of driving associated with drowsiness, such as weaving within the lane boundaries... As humans, we have one thing that works in our favor while driving: we are more likely to handle unexpected events successfully than the software in an autonomous car...
Labels: techno trucks, trucks control
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