NTSB Pushes Video Event Recorders for All Heavy Trucks

The National Transportation Safety Board pushed last week for a mandate that all heavy trucks have video event recorders to document crashes, reiterating a previous request.

The devices, which NTSB first asked for following a June 2009 multi-vehicle crash near Miami, Okla., would help law enforcement and investigators to see the circumstances surrounding crashes and what caused them, the board said.

The cameras would be triggered by collisions, sudden stopping or other events that might indicate a crash. In addition to the investigation benefits, they would allow employers to better train drivers, the board said.

NTSB issued the recommendation for the mandate to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as part of its report following an August 2010 crash in Gray Summit, Mo.

NTSB earlier this week recommended a ban on all texting and handheld phone use in all operating vehicles.