Three years ago, truck driver Art Strauss invented a mirror that eliminates a blind spot on the right front of truck cabs. He’s having trouble getting fleets to buy the device because he says insurance companies offer no incentives for using technologies with safety advantages.

The chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board had a few choice words criticizing the slow pace the nation has taken in adopting proven technologies to make trucks safer.

Insurers say the technology motor carriers may use to become safer is great, but truckers shouldn’t expect any rebates on insurance rates for adopting the equipment.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises of Chattanooga, Tenn., has used some of the most promising safety technologies in its trucks to cut preventable accidents by 75%, according to Max Fuller, the company’s chief operating officer.

Those who insist that “black boxes” are the best way to track driver hours of service are trying to avoid a collision with trucking people who fear that onboard computers will be used to collect too much information.

Insurers say the technology motor carriers may use to become safer is great, but truckers shouldn’t expect any rebates on insurance rates for adopting the equipment.

The battle lines are being drawn for what seems likely to be heated debate this week on improving trucking safety with technology.

Although global positioning systems in close to 100,000 cars in Japan reportedly shut down as programmers reset the clocks on older GPS satellites, major suppliers of tracking systems for trucks in the U.S. reported no problems.

Oil suppliers say they are ready for the Year 2000, so consumers who fear a shortage associated with the Millennium Bug need not worry nor hoard oil in the days leading up to the turn of the century.

The battle lines are being drawn for what seems likely to be a heated debate this week during federal hearings on improving trucking safety with technology.