2024 Facts for Drivers PDF

driver's behavior and performance. (CMS enhances the driver's field-of-view and helps employers provide driver feedback to improve performance. Electronic Stability Control (ESC): An ESC uses multiple on-board sensors to detect side-to-side instability and yaw (the angle of a vehicle in relation to...

driver's behavior and performance. (CMS enhances the driver's field-of-view and helps employers provide driver feedback to improve performance. Electronic Stability Control (ESC): An ESC uses multiple on-board sensors to detect side-to-side instability and yaw (the angle of a vehicle in relation to its vertical axis) primarily to avoid rollovers. ESC is available in both active and passive platforms. Passive systems inform drivers of significant roll-over risk a couple of seconds after the event, thus improving a driver's performance in similar future situations. Active systems take direct action when they detect vertical instability by reducing throttle or, if necessary, applying brakes. Active systems have been required on most new heavy trucks and tractors since 2017. Blind-Spot Monitoring: Blind spots are defined as areas behind or at the side of the vehicle that the driver cannot see from the driver's seat. A blind-spot monitoring system uses sensors that monitor the driver's blind spots and notify the driver if any obstacles come close to the vehicle by providing an audible, visual, or haptic warning. Most BSM systems can be temporarily disabled for a short duration of tume, when the driver activates the turn signal or by a switch or through the driver control panel while going through a construction Zone. While safety technology may be an aid to reducing crashes, drivers remain the most important element to truck safety. The responsibility for safety still rests firmly in the driver's hands. Basic Safety Guidelines Speed Management According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), speed- ing — traveling too fast for conditions or in excess of the posted speed limit — is a factor in 29% of all fatal crashes and costs America approximately $40.4 billion in economic costs each year. Additionally, an ATRI study, updated in 2022, found that speeding 15 mph over the speed limit increased the likelihood of a crash by 40%. Conse- quently, many motor carriers focus a great deal of their training, 41