Distracted drivers, tired drivers, or undocumented drivers can lead to major accidents on highways in the United States. The Government has stepped in with a variety of regulations that have started to not only protect the driver, but the industry itself. “Each year about 5,000 fatal, 50,000 injuries, and 100,000 property-damage crashes involve large trucks resulting in social costs exceeding $32 billion.” (Pritchard, 2010) The regulation for safety measures that include electronic logging of hours, better training for new truck drivers, and better vehicle communication and maintenance technology, are improving the safety of drivers in the motor carrier industry. In July 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the transportation bill Moving Ahead for …show more content…
Many carriers have started accomadating their trucks with ways that the driver can communicate with dispatch and ways that the company can track the driving habits of their drivers. Some of the features include a GPS system that can track where the truck is located to a system that maintenance department can look online to see what needs to be fix when a truck is away from the shop. Both of these are helpful in safety because they allow everyone to stay on top of what is going on with the trucks on a daily basis. A vehicle maintenance technology can help with not only the maintenance of the truck but also the wear and tear that the driver is putting on the truck. An Electronic vehicle management system (EVMS), “record vehicle speed, idle time, hard accelerations and decelerations, and engine diagnostic codes.” (Cantor, Corsi, and Grimm, 2006) The EVMS system allows that company to work and train a driver that is struggling with speeding and hard stops to prevent accidents. The EVMS systems are changing the way drivers drive and making the roads
According to Stephanie Hanes in the essay “Texting While Driving Is as Dangerous as Drunk Driving,” a driver on a phone and those talking on a phone are four times likely to crash. This statistic shows how dangerous using the phone or even texting is while driving. As technology has increased, so has the use of cellphone. Distracted driving has caused an increase in car fatalities and disasters. However, distracted driving can be prevented if drivers take precautions, but no matter what we do, trouble will always be spelling on the road.
If 9 out of 10 drivers are opting out of the industry before they've even been in a year, it's not a stretch to think that user experience is to blame for at least some of them. Happily coinciding with a December 18th mandate, ELDs - electronic logging devices - are making the much-maligned paper log a thing of the past, allowing drivers to travel through many states nearly seamlessly. With ELD features like mobile device interfaces and safeguards to prevent text-alert distractions on the road, the cab is no longer an unfamiliar, caught-in-time platform for forward-thinking millennials.During the actual drive, emerging practices like platooning - the high-tech linking of two trucks that allows for a very close following speed and near-simultaneous braking in the rear truck without driver input - help cut down on wind resistance and fuel consumption. This makes hauls more profitable for busy drivers, and also ensures a level of safety for both truck drivers and the other vehicles that they share the road with. This practice also lowers the difficulty level for newer truck drivers, though they should receive training and ample solo time on their own hauls before linking up in a platoon formation to avoid
David Hosansky states that the use of cell phones and texting should not be allowed while driving. The increased uses of cell phones and texting while driving has become the center of safety conversations. In fact, there are more than 5,000 deaths related to the use of cell phones and texting while driving over the last decade. Even if laws were put in place it is believed that motorists would still find it hard to put down their phones down. Hosansky also gave an example on the hazards of texting while driving, especially among young drivers. There are very few states that have implemented laws restricting the use of cell phones or texting while driving. David Hosansky is a freelance writer in the Denver area. This article seems to have been written for the general public and thought to be informative. I found this especially helpful and informative in finding this is not just a local problem.
Distracted driving is something myself, as a driver, encounters everyday. From resisting to look at my phone, to seeing other people on the road using their phone and putting my life in danger. When I see people swerving because they’re distracted, it puts an image into my mind that I’ve heard too many stories about. People are dying because of a text, or a phone call, not to mention the plethora of other distractions on the road. I am declaring my independence from distracted driving because I care about my community, it could put me in harms way, and a life is way more important than a simple message.
There will be a day when driving will not require a license. Children will be traveling on their own, teens will be texting while driving, adults will be doing their jobs while driving, and the elderly who are visually or physically impaired will be able to transport themselves (Symonds). This will be made possible through new technological car advancements that will enable a car to be driverless. With technology increasing exponentially, and our everyday lives getting busier and busier, we need a solution. Weeks of productivity are lost each year by Americans (Pollette). Driverless cars will cause this issue to vanish by reducing delays and smoothing traffic flow (Winston). Most technology will have flaws, and this is also true for driverless cars’ technology. Improvements are being made to enhance the car (Pollette), but accidents will still take place. Despite the flaws, driverless cars will make trips shorter, and when trips are long, we will be able to multitask.
Over the years, there has been much controversy as to how the national problem of distracted driving can be resolved. Distracted driving is quickly emerging as a major cause of death. Contrary to belief, by 2030, road traffic injuries are projected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide surpassing HIV, aids, cancer, violence, and diabetes (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2014). However, in Canada distracted driving laws are fragmented by provincial and territorial policies and should be implemented into the Criminal Code of Canada, due to the fact that major efforts to enforce and increase penalties have not changed the troubling distracted driving rates.
We shall notice that the insurance increase from year to year. After insurers sign the policy, some become careless. Because they have a higher deductible amount, they would care less about being involved in a small accident or some scratches on their vehicle. They will claim them all to the insurance company. Since the frequency of claiming gets more and more often. The insurance companies have to increase insurance in order to cover their cost. And this device will reduce the number of accident in some ways. The device monitors drivers and send the data to the system. If the result shows a driver has a good driving habit, it will not only reduce the insurance but also help reducing insurance companies’ cost. From the article, it states that “In other parts of the world, including Europe, the U.S. and Japan, such devices have been used for years, with insurers claiming they result in fewer accidents, fewer insurance claims and more consumer choice”. (Paragraph 7) It seems like this new technology turns out to be a win-win. Which is bringing benefits to both customers and insurance companies.
I rear ended a car due to the action of distracted driving. Distractions while driving can include anything from the use of social media on a cellular phone, messing with a navigation system, brushing one's hair, speaking to the passengers, or eating a big mac. In my situation, I was toying with the music in my car. I was dissatisfied with the current song so I decided to switch it up. I was at a stoplight so at the time I thought it would be okay for me to change the song. But within the timespan of a blink of an eye, my foot went off the brake and I rear-ended the car in front of me. I was following the car way too closely so by the time I realized my foot had wavered I already made a mark on the car ahead of me. I wanted to fist bump to
Distracted driving: the practice of driving a motor vehicle while engaged in another activity. Anything besides focusing on the road can be considered distracted driving. Most people would think that the only real distraction while driving is the use of a cell phone, however, that is entirely untrue. There are people that give the term, distracted driving, a whole new meaning. People do everything from fixing their makeup to shaving while driving in their cars. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car crashes in the United States.
These technologies have made driving an easier and enjoyable experience, as well as reducing our chances of getting into accidents. The research presented in the following article “Driven to Distraction [in car technology]” provided surprising conclusions. Professor John D. Lee from the University of Iowa states the following issue: “Technology is changing very quickly. Many of these things coming into the car were not designed to be used in it. ”(Edwards 8).
Installed systems inside vehicles have become a process of differentiation to understand customers looking for cars with more than just the ability to transport people from one point to another. Introducing of information systems inside vehicles has enabled manufacturers to provide their customers with extra functionality, by means of improving the desirability of the the product towards satisfying customers and at the same time enabling new business style and models through the supplying of efficient services to customers. And this changes the existence of competition in the automobile industry
Most people would love to have the ability to travel while earning a living on the way regularly. One of the best ways to achieve this is to become truck drivers. While delivering different goods around the world, truck drivers get to watch as a country develops and are part of the reason for the development. They play an essential role in almost all industries including, manufacturing, retail, food, dining and automotive. It is estimated that 75 percent of communities in America solely depend on truck drivers for delivery of services and goods.
Furthermore, in relation to the regulations and rules relating to automated vehicles, the federal agencies with the responsibility for automated-related factors on the nation’s highways include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Highway Administration, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). NHTSA has the responsibility of reducing deaths, injuries, and financial losses cause to vehicle accidents. FMCSA serves a similar purpose for large trucks and buses. However, because there are no specific federal policies or regulations in place that govern the use, operation, or deployment of automated technology, NHTSA has stated that many vehicle technologies are deployed without regulation being in place that allows their use. However, NHTSA makes it clear that technologies cannot pose an “unreasonable risk to safety.” Because of this, many technologies see significant market penetration before standards are developed. One factor leading to this situation is that there is typically a five- to eight-year timeframe for regulation development and activation.
Reckless driving is extremely dangerous and is considered to be anyone who is driving with carelessness and/or who has no regard for the safety of others on the road. Reckless driving is considered to be a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is a criminal act that is less severe then receiving a felony. Your punishments are also not as severe as penalties. Penalties for reckless driving include fines of up to $1,000, jail time, getting your parole revoked, two points on your driving record, insurance rates to go up, insurance can be cancelled and/or license suspension. Reckless driving includes speeding, not using signals, not using your headlights, disregarding traffic signs and signals, distracted driving, drag racing, and using a cell/smartphone while driving. In some cases a DUI can be deemed a “dry reckless”, which means the person was driving with disregard for others on the road. This charge is less serious then a DUI charge. If you have been pulled over for DUI and believe that it could be reduced to a “dry reckless” you should contact an attorney right away. Drag racing or a speed co...
Lately, telematics has been used more and more to mean “automotive telematics” which use informatics and telecommunications to enhance the functionality of motor vehicles such as wireless data applications, intelligent cruise control, and GPS in vehicles (K. Y. CHO, C. H. BAE, Y. CHU and M. W. SUH 2006). This definition identifies telecommunications transferring information as the key enabling technology to provide these advanced services. Automotive telematics is the idea of assisting the drivers, providing information about the car conditions, connecting the car with other roadside assistance and towing cars on the road, and integrating Automobiles as completely as possible. Automotive telematics includes putting cellular services, GPS/GPRS systems, weather displays, and many other technological ideas into Automobiles to serve all the desires of a customer.