Late last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced results of a study that demonstrated that by using technology to limit truck speed, accidents would be reduced and lives saved.

The study, commissioned by the FMCSA, was conducted by researchers at the American Transportation Research Institute and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The resulting report noted that “multiple analyses indicated a profound safety benefit for trucks equipped with an active [speed limiter].”

The researchers said that despite complaints from critics that speed limiting technology for large trucks would make it more dangerous for other vehicles that would be traveling faster, their data clearly showed otherwise.

By limiting the top speed of commercial trucks with electronic governance equipment, researchers say on-highway deaths and crash numbers likely would be substantially reduced.

“Domain research on the potential downside of speed deviations among vehicles that could occur due to the interaction of [speed limiter]-equipped vehicles and those without [speed limiters] seems to be far outweighed by the significant safety benefits associated with a reduction in absolute speed afforded by [speed limiters],” the study said.

The study was hailed by the American Trucking Associations and others, who have been pushing for speed limiters on commercial motor vehicles for years.

The next question is what the FMCSA will do with the results and how long it might take to create legislation that will push for implementation of limiters on all large trucks.

The government’s proposed plan to make good on how highway projects are delivered, and refocusing the federal highway program on issues of national interest – including freight movement – earned praise in February from the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

The surface transportation bill, put forth by U.S. House of Representative leaders and Chairman John Mica, includes safety provisions such as the creation of a drug and alcohol testing clearinghouse, and stricter driver training requirements.  It also begins the move toward establishing the first-ever crashworthiness standards for large trucks, something the ATA has always championed, said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. 

According to the ATA, the bill is beneficial for truckers and other highway users alike.  If implemented, he said, it will bring about significant improvements in how Americans travel. 

Other issues addressed by the bill include truck productivity and hours of service rules, as well as federal truck size-and-weight reforms.  

A report commissioned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is likely to generate interest among all states with toll roads. The report in Pennsylvania, announced earlier this month, advocates replacing the toll plazas along the 545-mile Pennsylvania Turnpike with an all-electronic toll collection system.  

The traffic toll study, drafted by two transportation consultancies -- Philadelphia-based McCormick Taylor Inc. , and Columbia, S.C.-based Wilber Smith Associates Inc. -- recommends the state replace all of its Turnpike toll plazas with overhead “gantries” to collect tolls while drivers maintain highways speeds.   Drivers with the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system in their vehicle, would have the toll deducted automatically as they passed under the gantry. Drivers without an E-ZPass or other toll collection device, would have their license plates photographed and would be sent a bill via the mail. Drivers would no longer be able to pay tolls with cash.

The hard cost savings of such an implementation would come in large part through the phasing out of human toll collectors, which the report’s authors said would provide savings of about $5 million in the first year and as much as $21 million by the tenth year of the plan’s implementation. Estimates show electronic toll collection costs about 25 cents per transaction, versus $1 per transaction for a human-based interaction. 

Those savings would offset the estimated $319 million to put the all-electronic system in place. 

The report notes other savings by instituting an all-electronic toll collection system would include air quality improvements because drivers would no longer have to idle at toll plazas.  The all-electronic system would also mean toll collections would be faster and easier for everyone.   

If the recommendations from the report’s authors actually takes place, it’s unlikely the change would be implemented in full for at least five years, according to state officials.  The news comes on the heels of a toll hike for non-E-ZPass users earlier this year.  Motorists paying with cash have been assessed an extra 10 percent over their E-ZPass-using counterparts. Other states also offer incentives such as increased cash tolls to incent drivers to use electronic toll-collection devices. In Pennsylvania, the most recent increase for cash customers mean cash customers are now paying about 17 percent more than users with E-ZPass. Because of the hikes, E-ZPass use continues to rise. 

Last year, nearly 61 percent of all tolls collected in Pennsylvania went through E-ZPass. That’s good, but not as good as some of its neighboring states. For instance, New Jersey collects more than 76 percent of tolls on the New Jersey Turnpike through E-ZPass. The more states adopt overhead toll collection system, the less time you, as drivers, will have to spend sitting in traffic jams at toll booths.

Over the last several years, fuel (diesel and gas) taxes have fallen across the nation.  While that may sound like a good thing, it actually might have a negative impact on you – drivers on our nation’s highways.

That’s because the less fuel tax monies that are rolling in to state coffers has a negative impact on road construction and repairs.The Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) this month release its report on fuel taxes, noting these taxes “are the most important source of transportation funding under the control of state lawmakers.”The report states that, unfortunately, most state gas taxes “are built to fail.” 

 There are more than 35 states that rely on fixed-rate taxes that collect the same amount in tax annually on every gallon of fuel purchased. The rub is that while other costs are rising – such as asphalt, concrete and other transportation construction costs – the fuel taxes are remaining stagnant. In the aggregate, that means inflation is taking a big bite out of fuel taxes.In fact, the report states, “After adjusting to account for growth in construction costs, theaverage state’s gas tax rate has effectively fallen by 20 percent, or 6.8 cents per gallon, since the last time it was increased. In states that rely on the fixed-rate tax, that number increases to 29 percent, which is about 9.5 cents per gallon.            

State’s with the biggest declines in percentages of fuel tax monies include Alaska, New Mexico, Montana and Maryland.           

 According to ITEP, the trend they are seeing reflects long-term changes in how we live.  In fact, they said, the decline in the fuel tax revenues means fuel taxes are “a less significant part of families’ household budgets than they have been in 80 years.”

The Department of Transportation has issued a press release outlining new rules regarding the use of handheld cell phone by interstate truckers and bus drivers.

In September, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made a recommendation that using handheld or hands-free cell phones be banned for all U.S. commercial drivers.  The ruling would impact nearly 4 million drivers nationwide and was widely opposed by the trucking industry.

The NTSB lacks regulatory authority, so it can only make recommendations based on advice and investigations into safety issues. According to the NTSB, the restrictions on cell phones would help reduce the number of crashes caused by distracted driving. Today's announcement was made by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.  The agencies, both units of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said drivers who are reaching for or dialing a hand-held device poses safety risks.

In the DOT press release, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “When drivers of large trucks, buses and hazardous materials take their eyes off the road for even a few seconds, the outcome can be deadly. I hope that this rule will save lives by helping commercial drivers stay laser-focused on safety at all times while behind the wheel."

The final rule prohibits commercial drivers from using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a commercial truck or bus. Drivers who violate the restriction will face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses. Additionally, states will suspend a driver's commercial driver's license (CDL) after two or more serious traffic violations. Commercial truck and bus companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving will face a maximum penalty of $11,000.

"This final rule represents a giant leap for safety," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "It's just too dangerous for drivers to use a hand-held cell phone while operating a commercial vehicle. Drivers must keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel and head in the game when operating on our roads. Lives are at stake."

Many large companies, including Wal-Mart and Peter Pan bus lines already prohibit drivers from using hand-held phones.