Government Documents (VTTI)

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Browsing Government Documents (VTTI) by Author "Bowman, Darrell Scott"

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    Development of Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program: Technical Brief
    Marinik, Andrew; Schaudt, William A.; Daily, Brian; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009-02)
    The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed the Hazardous Materials Package Inspection Program (HMPIP) to focus on inspecting individual shipments at the roadside or on carriers’ docks. One output of this program is a resulting dataset that can be used to develop a performance-based prioritization of HM shippers for inspection. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was tasked to review, document, and recommend improvements to the HM Shipper Prioritization Program. As part of that effort, VTTI developed software titled the HM Shipper Prioritization Application (HMSPA) that was beta tested in a sample of states with existing shipper programs. The purpose of this report is to provide documentation on the development process and the final HMSPA design that was completed by VTTI.
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    Draft Final Report: Development of Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Marinik, Andrew; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Trimble, Tammy E.; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009-02-28)
    In the mid-1990s, an attempt was made to develop a performance-based prioritization for Hazardous Materials (HM) shippers. During this attempt it became apparent that there was insufficient performance data to develop such a system. In response, FMCSA developed the HM Package Inspection Program (HMPIP) to focus on inspecting individual shipments of HM at the roadside or on carriers’ docks. Due to the improvements made over the years to the package inspection data collected during HMPIP inspections, HM incident data, and improved departmental data identifying companies involved in shipping HM, FMCSA has begun a second effort to develop a performance-based prioritization of HM shippers. The purpose of the current project was for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) to review, document, and recommend improvements to FMCSA’s HM Shipper Prioritization Program. This project consisted of six major tasks, all of which were successfully executed by VTTI. After the kick-off meeting and the successful completion of a detailed work plan, a peer review committee was formed. Members of the peer review committee were to participate in two peer review meetings during the course of the project. The purpose of the first peer review meeting was to have the study methodology and data collection techniques reviewed by the committee. The purpose of the second peer review meeting was to review the study findings and conclusions. Another major step in this project was to review and examine the current Hazardous Materials (HM) Shipper Prioritization Program, which included two distinct prioritization algorithms, and to develop software titled the HM Shipper Prioritization Application (HMSPA). HMSPA was then beta tested in states with existing shipper programs. The focus of these onsite tests was usability testing with potential end users. Both subjective and objective data were collected by way of questionnaires and performance tasks. All results were very positive indicating that the beta version, with minor modifications based on user recommendations, should move forward into a fully functioning application for FMCSA.
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    Enhanced Camera/Video Imaging Systems (E-C/VISs) for Heavy Vehicles
    Wierwille, Walter W.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Alden, Andrew S.; Gibbons, Ronald B.; Hanowski, Richard J.; Blanco, Myra; Leeson, B.; Hickman, Jeffrey S. (United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2011-06)
    Tests were performed to determine the feasibility of developing an Enhanced Camera/Video Imaging System (Enhanced C/VIS or E-C/VIS) to provide heavy-vehicle drivers with better situation awareness to the sides and rear of their vehicles. It is well known that large blind spots currently exist in these areas and that sideswipe crashes can occur as a result. An additional goal was to extend the operating envelope of conventional video to nighttime and to inclement weather. A three-channel system was envisioned in which there would be a camera at each (front) fender of the tractor looking backward along the sides of the rig. The third channel would be aimed rearward from the back of the trailer. The current document describes the project results. Indoor tests involved selection of components having the best capabilities, while early outdoor tests used the selected components in a single-channel side mounted system. Subjects evaluated rain and dark conditions. Results were satisfactory. Once developed, the three-channel system was tested and found to work well in the nighttime and inclement weather environments. Street lighting was also included in the testing.
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    Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) for Heavy Trucks: Phase III – Development of Field Operational Test
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Trimble, Tammy E.; Medina, Alejandra; Bocanegra, Joseph L.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Marinik, Andrew; Wierwille, Walter W.; Hanowski, Richard J. (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2010-09)
    The Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) for Heavy Trucks project was directed at investigating methods to reduce or mitigate those crashes where a heavy truck has been struck in the rear by another vehicle. Prior to the current effort, two phases of work had been completed on this project. The purpose of the current effort, Phase III, focused on exploring the benefits of the countermeasures developed in previous phases, and to develop a plan for a large scale Field Operational Test (FOT). During crash database analyses in the current project it was found that, in 2006, there were approximately 23,500 rear-end crashes involving heavy trucks which resulted in 135 fatalities and 1603 incapacitating injuries. Many different types of ERSs were investigated in this study across both the auditory and visual modalities. Visual warning signals were found to be the most beneficial at signaling following-vehicle drivers (more specifically rear warning-light configurations). The research team recommended that one specific configuration be selected for real-world data collection based on its high performance and the potential success of future design implementation. Overall, the final radar-based cautionary ERS system was robust in real-world driving conditions and is recommended for an FOT.
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    Expanded Research and Development of an Enhanced Rear Signaling System for Commercial Motor Vehicles
    Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Stone, Scott R.; Perez, Matthew C. (United States. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Office of Analysis, Research, and Technology, 2014-04)
    The purpose of the current study was to further develop and refine the prototype Enhanced Rear Signaling (ERS) system that was developed during the previous Phase III effort. Expanded development efforts for the ERS system included modification of the system into a unit designed for simple commercial motor vehicle (CMV) installation, collision-warning activation refinements, and rear lighting brightness adjustments for nighttime conditions. During the ERS system development process, the team successfully completed necessary modifications for improved CMV installation. Formal closed test-track and real-world testing were then performed to determine the ERS system collision-warning activation performance. Ultimately, the ERS system performed with a 100 percent correct detection rate and an 85.43 percent correct rejection rate during real-world testing. During all ERS system activations, no unsafe following vehicle driver reactions/behaviors were observed, indicating a promising system for follow-on research. A nighttime brightness level was selected at the conclusion of a ratings study and carried on into nighttime real-world testing. During ERS system nighttime activations, there were also no unsafe following-vehicle driver reactions/behaviors observed. Overall, the research team found that the ERS system is ready for further evaluation in a field operational test (FOT).
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    Guidelines for the Operation, Assembly, Repair, Testing and Inspection of Hazardous Material Cargo Tanks
    Bowman, Darrell Scott; Marinik, Andrew; Trimble, Tammy E.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Selz, Allen (Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 2009-06-30)
    This document consists of guidelines and recommendations related to operations, assembly, repair, testing and inspection of cargo tanks hauling hazardous materials. This document is the result of research findings from the project titled: Research to Identify the Factors that Affect the Service Life of Cargo Tanks [VTRC # 08-0669-10, FMCSA # TMC75-07-H-00008 Task Order # 2].
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    Synthesis of Literature and Operating Safety Practices Related to Cell Phone/Personal Data Assistant Use in Commercial Truck and Bus Operations (Technical Report)
    Morgan, Justin F.; Trimble, Tammy E.; Bowman, Darrell Scott; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Pickett, Raquel; Murray, Dan; Bergoffen, Gene (United States. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2011-04)
    There is an increasing awareness of the role of driver distraction in commercial motor vehicle crashes. This study presents the results of efforts to expand current knowledge of truck and motorcoach industry practices regarding commercial driver distraction. The project involved a thorough literature review on driver distraction. Little research specifically addressed commercial driver distraction; those studies that did examine commercial driving typically found significant degradations in driver performance due to visually demanding device use. However, the findings of automotive driver distraction research vary based on the type of examination (i.e., simulator, test-track, or naturalistic data collection methods) and the aspect of phone use. These findings, in light of the importance and potential safety risks posed by driver distraction, may help guide further research into the nature and magnitude of distraction faced by CMV drivers as part of their normal job functions.
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    Vehicle-width Measurement Technology Development: Phase I Technical Memorandum
    Marinik, Andrew; Trimble, Tammy E.; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Bryson, Jared; Schaudt, William A.; Bowman, Darrell Scott (Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research, 2011-08)
    The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was tasked with investigating the feasibility of developing a vehicle-width measurement and alert system to reduce over-width violations in Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) work zones. A two-phase approach was developed to investigate the measurement system feasibility. During Phase I, the focus of the current report, VTTI first generated design criteria with support from stakeholders (i.e., the Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research [VCTIR] and VDOT). Next, researchers and engineers assessed existing vehicle-width measurement systems against these criteria to determine design gaps, and then explored solutions (e.g., new technologies) to these design gaps. Identified potential solutions were then tested on the Virginia Smart Road. In the end, VTTI developed a preliminary system architecture for a vehicle-width measurement system. Based on the findings of this research effort three recommendations are offered to guide future development of a vehicle-width measurement system.