Will this be the new roadside test for marijuana impairment?

Whether you are for or against the legalization of marijuana—and I am not taking a position here— no one can dispute that driving a car after the use of marijuana is dangerous. Which means it’s even more dangerous to drive a big rig while under the influence of marijuana. How do you identify a stoned (truck) driver? A major problem for law enforcement is that there are few accurate roadside tools to detect marijuana impairment. Field sobriety tests are common, or simple observation techniques, have been developed to fight drunk driving. The problem is that these tests are not reliable for detecting other forms of impairment, and are easily challenged in court. In Washington State, a driver can be charged with

The controversy over Electronic Logging Devices, explained

[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” border_style=”solid”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_repeat=”no-repeat” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”true” hover_type=”none” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_sizes_right=”” min_height=”” link=”” background_blend_mode=”overlay” first=”true”][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” hue=”” saturation=”” lightness=”” alpha=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” font_size=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_transform=”none” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””] The ELD Law An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is a computer record of the truck’s mileage and time on the road. As of December 18, 2017, long-haul commercial truckers are required to use an ELD instead of a paper log. What does that mean for truckers? The new law

What you need to know about FCAM (and why all trucks should have it)

What is FCAM? We throw around a lot of trucking safety terms. The talk can get very technical. For example: NHTSA identifies forward collision avoidance and mitigation technology (FCAM) technologies as the systems that combine forward collision warning alert signals with collision mitigation braking.  There’s a much easier explanation. 1) Radar detects a pending crash; and 2) Automatic braking prevent it. Why is FCAM important? It was a clear, sunny day. The truck driver was gazing out the window at a pleasant view when he slammed into the back of a Jeep. The Jeep flew forward, into oncoming traffic. It collided head-on with a pickup truck, then burst into flames. I believe that FCAM technology could have prevented this devastating crash. In fact, it could prevent thousands

Are speed limiters in heavy trucks really a good idea?

The idea is that semi-trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles shouldn’t be able to speed on U.S. roads and highways. In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration jointly proposed that all new trucks, buses, and commercial passenger vehicles that weigh more than 26,000 pounds have speed limiting devices set to a specific maximum speed. The proposed maximum speed has not yet been set. But it is likely between 60 and 68 miles per hour. What Are Truck Speed Limiters? Imagine a digital governor, nestled within a truck’s engine. That’s essentially what a speed limiter is. It electronically restricts the engine’s output, preventing the vehicle from exceeding a pre-set speed. Think of it as

Trucking Tech: New crash avoidance system study results are amazing

A couple of years ago, a Walmart truck rear-ended a limo van at a ridiculously high rate of speed. One man was killed, and several others seriously injured—including actor Tracy Morgan. That crash was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).   In their final report, NTSB recommended that the federal government conduct a study on crash avoidance technology that might prevent devastating rear-end collisions like this one. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) just concluded that study. The results are impressive. 169 truck drivers; 7 trucking companies; 150 tractor-trailers with collision-avoidance systems; 3 million miles; 110,000 hours of driving; 6,000 CAS alerts; and …  Zero rear-end crashes. NHTSA’s report shows that the crash avoidance systems were activated 6,000 during the

Trucking Tech: Watch how a $30k retrofit makes an autonomous truck

A tech start-up is betting on an autonomous truck hitting the road in the U.S. —and soon. The former Google engineers at Otto designed a $30,000 kit that can retrofit semi-trucks with new autonomous driving technology. The autonomous truck package includes extra cameras, radar, and lights sensors. A computer gathers all of that information, adds very detailed mapping data, and makes real-time driving decisions. https://youtu.be/bK76W1kH4jA Otto says it conducted tests with two trucks on I-5 and Highway 101 in California, with minimal driver intervention. The trucks could stay in one lane, and maintain a set speed, slowing or stopping as necessary. For now, the self-driving trucks still have a human driver, plus backup braking and power steering systems. It’s an

Categories

Contact Coluccio Law