MyCarDoesWhat Safety Program Also Applies To Trucks

MyCarDoesWhat, the safety technology program unveiled on Oct. 7 in Washington by the Department of Transportation and the National Safety Council, has direct applicability to the trucking industry.

“A lot of these technologies are transferable,” NSC President and CEO Deborah Hersman said. “They’re not just designed for passenger cars. We want consumers and we want professional drivers to know what it’s in their vehicles.”

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx noted that after a record-low highway fatality rate in 2014, the numbers are heading in the opposite direction this year, making such technology as automatic emergency braking systems, blind-spot monitors and lane-departure systems essential to help prevent human errors and save lives.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration Administrator Mark Rosekind echoed Hersman’s comment regarding commercial vehicles.

“There is an artificial distinction that gets made between light and heavy [vehicles],” Rosekind said. “In reality, these safety technologies [apply] across the fleet. We want AEB equipment standard on all vehicles.”

Hersman said the NSC would welcome partnerships with such groups as American Trucking Associations to spread the message about the new safety technologies.