Event-Data Recorders for Trucks Are Coming, Safety Officials Say

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AN ANTONIO — Event-data recorders for commercial vehicles will become reality, and the trucking industry should come forward now to shape how they are designed and used before the federal government does, government safety officials said last week.

“This is something you are going to have to live with,” Joe Osterman, director of highway safety for the National Transportation Safety Board said, “but how they evolve can be up to you.”

“Hiding your head in the sand is not a good strategy anymore,” said Dr. Vernon Ellingstad, director of research and engineering for NTSB. “The era of vehicle data recorders is upon us and [the trucking industry’s] participation is important.”

Another federal official, Claude Harris, director of crash avoidance for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, called NTSB’s prediction on data recorders “premature,” but said they can provide useful information as to the cause of severe crashes.

For the full story, see the Oct. 27 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.

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