After investigating a 2020 multi-vehicle crash near Mt. Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania, the National Transportation Safety Board issued three new safety recommendations impacting commercial vehicles.
The collision involved a motorcoach, three tractor-trailers, and a passenger vehicle. Five people were killed and 50 others were injured, reports Heavy Duty Trucking.
As a result of this investigation, the NTSB issued new safety recommendations related to three specific areas.
The first concerns excessive speed for wet pavement conditions.
Specifically, the NTSB recommended that the Federal Highway Administration evaluate the applicability and use of the 85th percentile speed input variable in its tools for setting appropriate speed limits.
NTSB also recommended that the Department of Transportation implement a plan for nationwide connected-vehicle technology deployment to address current limitations. In addition, they reiterated recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop minimum performance standards for connected-vehicle technology for all highway vehicles and to require this technology to be installed on all newly manufactured highway vehicles.
NTSB also urged NHTSA to develop performance standards for advanced speed-limiting technology for heavy vehicles and to require that all newly manufactured heavy vehicles be equipped with such devices. Similarly, NHTSA should complete the development and application of performance standards for forward collision avoidance systems in commercial vehicles.
Finally, NTSB recommended that all buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating be required to be equipped with onboard video event recorders. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it said, should provide guidance to motor carriers to proactively use onboard video event recorder information to aid in driver training and ensure driver compliance with regulatory rules essential for safe operation.
The NTSB does not have rulemaking authority and can only make recommendations to other government agencies, as well as to industries, associations, motor carriers involved, etc.
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