Representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board have renewed their calls that the installation of event data recorders be made mandatory for all commercial vehicles.
The renewed calls follow the closure of the investigation into the deadly crash that occurred when a FedEx truck crossed over into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a passenger bus, killing 10 people and injuring 39 more. The investigation ended without any conclusive evidence which, according to the NTSB, is due at least in part to the lack of data recorders in both the truck and the bus.
“With access to event data recorders, we might have been able to determine why the truck crossed the median, which could have enabled us to make recommendations to prevent it from happening again,” said the NTSB’s Chairman.
According to the NTSB’s investigation, they were able to rule out drugs, alcohol, weather, mechanical issues, driver inexperience, distraction, fatigue, and health as reasons for the crash. Which basically means that they have no idea what caused the accident.
By mandating the event data recorders be installed on all commercial motor vehicles, the NTSB hopes that they will be able to more accurately identify what causes accidents and then be able to help prevent them.
“Accidents never involve only one thing; they are a chain of events that come together for a catastrophic result,” said Mark Rosenker, the former NTSB Chairman. “Thus, the NTSB’s mission is to establish what happened, how it happened, determine the probable cause, and make sure it never happens again. And that’s where data can make a really big difference.”
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Source: gobytrucknews, fleetowner
BASEBALLbat says
It would make more sense to attack it at both ends and have monitors over dispatch too. Kind of like a control tower for an airport. Not that I am choosing sides, but they do control the majority of the locations and pickup / delivery times.
Squeeze one end, it just goes out the other side… 😀
David says
I wonder what the name of the FedEx driver was?
Max says
Fatigue and/or distraction. How many times have all of us found ourselves drifting due to inattention, changing the radio, grabbing the CB mic, or picking up a cup of coffee. It happens.
As for cameras on dispatch? So what if the dispatcher falls asleep. What’s damage is he going to do? bump his/her head? spill a drink? So long as they don’t give the dispatcher a steering wheel, the public should be relatively safe.
Douglas Kirk says
Worrying to much about WHAT happened instead of WHY. The majority of Fedex guys do the same run at the same time every day, so you can’t blame dispatchers. The only way the Utopians are ever going to have a perfect world is if ALL modes of transportation are permanently abolished, people are permanently strapped into their comfy little beds, and the sun never stops shining.
mike says
I believe that would be a 5 th admendment issue here.
Infosaur says
“According to the NTSB’s investigation, they were able to rule out drugs, alcohol, weather, mechanical issues, driver inexperience, distraction, fatigue, and health as reasons for the crash. Which basically means that they have no idea what caused the accident.”
Anyone notice something missing from this list?
How about, “attempted to avoid accident with another vehicle?” I mean seriously they listed every reason BUT “outside influence “
Marvin De Vries says
I see Carb got out of this one !
That accident that killed those children on that bus was not caused do to driver error . Witnesses told that there was fire coming from under the truck before it left the road . Most likely the system that Carb wants on all trucks failed causing fire on truck .
David tickle says
So fire from under the vehicle isn’t a mechanical issue? They are still trying to find blame in the driver somehow , someway or another!