The Trucking Industry Mobility & Technology Coalition (TIMTC) and the Dept. of Transportation will hold a free webinar this Thursday afternoon during which industry experts will discuss the benefits and consequences of truck drivers’ use of navigation systems.
The webinar, “Assessing the Use of Navigation Systems for Large Trucks,” will be held Thursday, May 16 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT. Participants will need access to the internet and a telephone.
Recent media reports have highlighted the role that GPS devices, particularly those that are designed for passenger vehicle use, can play in large truck crashes, most notably bridge strikes, according to webinar sponsors.
The New York State DOT, for example, has reported that 200 bridge strikes have occurred each year since 2005 and approximately 80% of those crashes were the result of "misused" navigation devices. While the roads and bridges are often well marked, many GPS units do not note large truck and bus restrictions.
The results of the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) recently released navigation-system use survey will be featured during the webinar as well as new efforts to reduce bridge strikes through enforcement, education and mitigation activities.
FMCSA's Deputy Administrator will be on hand to discuss the Administration's new commercial vehicle GPS selection guide and other navigation system-related initiatives.
Webinar speakers will include:
- Bill Bronrott, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Admmin.
- Dan Murray, vp of research, ATRI
- Sgt. Ira Promisel, Chief Technical Sergeant, New York State Police
- Kendra Hems, president, New York State Motor Truck Assn.
To register for free, go to http://www.freightmobility.com. An email with instructions for joining the webinar will be sent to all registrants.
