NTSB’s Hersman Suggests Making EOBRs Mandatory

WASHINGTON — Debbie Hersman, the new chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that fatigue was an “insidious” factor in all types transportation accidents and recommended that as the Department of Transportation reviews its hours-of-service rule for truckers it mandate the use of electronic onboard recorders and use all available fatigue research to craft a new rule.

Speaking to reporters at the National Press Club Monday, Hersman said that as the agency, which is part of DOT, looks at the 72 hours before an accident happens and “unfortunately, we find fatigue in more incidents and accidents than you would think.”

Hersman told Transport Topics that that includes truck and bus accidents, and that the board “feel[s] very strongly . . . that [the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] ought to have electronic onboard recorders in all trucks.”

In addition, she said that that as FMCSA revises its HOS rule, any changes “need to be based on scientific principles.”

By Sean McNally
Senior Reporter

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