Roadside safety

The roadside peril: A call for innovation to save lives

The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of FreightWaves or its affiliates.

By Ossa Fisher

Every day, countless drivers face a critical danger that often goes unnoticed: the peril of being roadside on the highway. When you pull over to the side of the road, other vehicles drive by — often over the speed limit and without moving to an adjacent lane — and put you at risk of a collision. Whether it’s a trucker checking a tire, a road worker...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-roadside-peril-a-call-for-innovation-to-save-lives

Warning devices for stopped trucks to go by wayside?

WASHINGTON — Two self-driving truck companies have told regulators their technology for warning motorists of a truck stopped on the side of the highway is safe enough to replace traditional reflective signs and road flares.

Waymo LLC and Aurora Operations Inc. have asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to exempt for five years their highly automated (Level 4 and Level 5) trucks from regulations requiring such roadside warning devices. If FMCSA approves the exemption, the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/warning-devices-for-stopped-trucks-to-go-by-wayside

Trimble tackles work zone safety with reduced speed alerts

Work zone safety

More than 18,000 work zone crashes a year involve tractor-trailer trucks. Many times, the reason is the sudden nature of slowing traffic as the trucks approach a work zone, leaving the truck drivers without enough room to safely slow or stop their vehicles. According to data from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, there were 672 fatal crashes in work zones in 2018, with 203 of them involving a truck.

Trimble, in partnership with Purdue University, is out to change these...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trimble-tackles-work-zone-safety-with-reduced-speed-alerts