Browsing by Author "Mabry, J. Erin"

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14
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    Case Study on the Impact of Treating Sleep Apnea in Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers: Sleep Apnea Programs from Two Leading U.S. Carriers and Focus Group Findings
    Mabry, J. Erin; Baker, Stephanie Ann; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Hanowski, Richard J. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2012-09-28)
    Approximately one in four commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in the U.S. are estimated to possess mild or higher levels of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common sleep-breathing disorder that is associated with significant medical consequences (including cardiovascular disease and diabetes). A major symptom of sleep apnea is excessive daytime sleepiness, which is highly correlated to impaired driving performance and may result in an increased risk of being in traffic--or work-related incidents. The most prescribed and cost-effective first-line treatment for OSA is nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Two leading U.S. carriers partnered with commercial sleep apnea providers to implement obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) programs that screen, diagnose, treat, and manage their OSA-positive CMV drivers. This case study provides an overview of these OSA programs; outlines each carrier's screening, testing, and compliance protocols; and compares and contrasts their approaches. Focus group research was also conducted with drivers and staff involved in each program to assess their perceptions and opinions of their respective OSA programs. While the majority of drivers expressed overall satisfaction participating in their carrier's OSA program, both drivers and staff stressed the difficulty of healthy eating, exercise, and weight loss as adjunct OSA treatments. Finally, staff expressed the importance of coordination between the carrier and the OSA provider to provide driver support.
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    Case Study on Worksite Health and Wellness Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
    Mabry, J. Erin; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Hanowski, Richard J. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2013-10)
    Due to the elevated prevalence of overweight and obesity in the transportation industry and the risks that accompany obesity, a health and wellness (H&W) program at a leading trucking organization was initiated to reduce obesity and the associated risks. In 2008 Schneider National Inc. (SNI), along with United Healthcare (UHC) and Atlas Ergonomics, launched a company-wide, voluntary H&W Program with their employees. Atlas is a leading ergonomic service and technology provider for healthcare, office, and transportation environments. Since the H&W Program launched in 2008, UHC and Atlas have worked with SNI to offer health and wellness programs, ergonomic and injury prevention services, on-site physical therapy and health screens, and overall wellness coaching to approximately 17,000 company-insured employees, including commercial drivers, at twelve SNI operating centers across the U.S. and Canada. Employee spouses are also eligible to enroll in the H&W Program. The purpose of this Case Study is to detail SNI’s H&W Program with Atlas Ergonomics and UHC and to evaluate the opinions, perceptions, and program satisfaction of participating drivers and program staff. The findings from this Case Study will aid in the development of recommendations for a carrier-implemented H&W program.
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    A Catalog of Health and Wellness Programs for Commercial Drivers
    Glenn, T. Laurel; Mabry, J. Erin; Hickman, Jeffrey S. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2022-12-08)
    The purpose of this study was to identify, review, and document existing CMV driver H&W programs and to identify industry best practices. The study began with a thorough literature review to understand the common medical conditions found among CMV drivers and the health risks—both behavioral and environment—associated with driving a commercial vehicle, along with a review of existing risk factor intervention programs and H&W programs designed for commercial drivers. Next, the study team conducted phone interviews with fleet and industry representatives to document and detail their H&W programs and initiatives and to identify program metrics and reported outcomes. This report includes a discussion of key aspects of existing programs, program recruitment methods, health assessments and testing, health education and coaching, and follow-up and maintenance activities. Findings from this study will inform recommendations for a larger study to evaluate the effectiveness of an H&W program for motor carrier operations.
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    Challenges in Conducting Empirical Epidemiological Research with Truck and Bus Drivers in Diverse Settings in North America
    Soccolich, Susan A.; Ridgeway, Christie; Mabry, J. Erin; Camden, Matthew C.; Miller, Andrew M.; Iridiastadi, Hardianto; Hanowski, Richard J. (MDPI, 2022-09-30)
    Over 6.5 million commercial vehicle drivers were operating a large truck or bus in the United States in 2020. This career often has high stress and long working hours, with few opportunities for physical activity. Previous research has linked these factors to adverse health conditions. Adverse health conditions affect not only the professional drivers’ wellbeing but potentially also commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators’ safe driving ability and public safety for others sharing the roadway. The prevalence of health conditions with high impact on roadway safety in North American CMV drivers necessitates empirical epidemiological research to better understand and improve driver health. The paper presents four challenges in conducting epidemiological research with truck and bus drivers in North America and potential resolutions identified in past and current research. These challenges include (1) the correlation between driving performance, driving experience, and driver demographic factors; (2) the impact of medical treatment status on the relationship between health conditions and driver risk; (3) capturing accurate data in self-report data collection methods; and (4) reaching the CMV population for research. These challenges are common and influential in epidemiological research of this population, as drivers face severe health issues, health-related federal regulations, and the impact of vehicle operation on the safety of themselves and others using the roadways.
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    Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Fatigue Detection Technology Catalog and Review
    Mabry, J. Erin; Glenn, T. Laurel; Hickman, Jeffrey S. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2019-02-21)
    According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, fatigue plays a role in up to 20% of fatal commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes. Because fatigue is difficult to self-assess, the use of fatigue detection technologies is growing in the CMV industry. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify the types of fatigue detection technologies that are commercially available and detail their respective features for application in CMV operations. The literature review discusses technologies that (i) detect fatigue using physiological sensors from the driver; (ii) use computer vision to monitor driver behavior and positioning; (iii) record and monitor driver performance metrics, and (iv) combine multiple measures in a hybrid approach to monitoring and detection. Informed by the technologies discussed in the literature review, the VTTI research team then developed an inventory of fatigue detection technologies that are currently commercially available for implementation in CMV operations. The inventory details their specific features, capabilities, limitations, applications, and efficacy (where available). Availability, cost, practicality for the industry, and stage of development for testing or implementation are also detailed for each technology. Finally, each technology is categorized, taking into consideration factors such as empirical validation, effectiveness, practicality, and availability.
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    Obstructive Sleep Apnea Risk in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Disease Patients: Associations with Physical Activity Status, Metabolic Syndrome, and Exercise Tolerance
    Mabry, J. Erin (Virginia Tech, 2013-05-03)
    Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in older U.S. adults and the prevalence is anticipated to rise in this age group along with obesity, a prominent risk factor for OSA. Recently, OSA was determined to be highly prevalent among patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) disease. Objectives: Examine associations between OSA risk and physical activity (PA), metabolic syndrome (MetSyn), and exercise responses to cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) in elderly patients with AAA disease. Methods: Elderly patients (n=326 for Studies 1 and 2; n=114 for Study 3) newly diagnosed with small AAAs (aortic diameter "2.5 and < 5.5 cm) were recruited. Data collection for all participants included: extraction of medical history and drug information from medical records; completion of a physical examination to assess resting vital signs and anthropometrics; fasting blood draw for several biochemical analyses; completion of a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET); and completion of interviews and questionnaires for health history, PA, and OSA risk. Results: 57% of subjects were High-risk for OSA and 17% were classified in the highest-risk Berlin Risk Score (BRS) 3 group; these subjects reported fewer blocks walked/day, flights of stairs climbed/day, and expended fewer Calories when engaged in these activities compared to Low-risk counterparts, independent of obesity. Among those at High-risk for OSA, 45% had MetSyn. Subjects with the highest BRS also had the highest prevalence of MetSyn and values for the MetSyn component biomarkers. Exercise capacity and physiological responses at rest, during exercise, and recovery were similar between groups at High- and Low-risk for OSA. Conclusions: Reduced levels of PA among elderly AAA patients at High-risk for OSA could have unfavorable implications for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and all-cause and CVD mortality.  Subjects demonstrating the most clinical symptoms of OSA showed a significantly higher prevalence for MetSyn and several of the biomarkers that determine MetSyn. In clinical practice, the BRS may be useful for identifying those AAA patients at increased risk for both OSA and MetSyn.
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    Onboard Safety Systems Effectiveness Evaluation: Final Report
    Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Guo, Feng; Camden, Matthew C.; Flintsch, Alejandra Medina; Hanowski, Richard J.; Mabry, J. Erin (United States. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2013-10)
    The purpose of this project was to conduct a retrospective effectiveness evaluation study on three commonly deployed onboard safety system (OBSS) types using previous data acquired directly from participating motor carriers. These OBSS technologies included lane departure warning (LDW), roll stability control (RSC), and forward collision warning (FCW) systems. The current study assessed the effectiveness of these three different OBSS types installed on Class 7 and 8 trucks as they operated in their normal revenue-producing routes. Although the crash data were acquired from 14 carriers representing small, medium, and large carriers hauling a variety of commodities (including a total of 88,112 carrier crash records-- USDOT-reportable accidents as well as minor incidents-- and 151,624 truck-years of operation that represented 13 billion miles traveled), the dataset in the current study was skewed toward larger, for-hire carriers and may not fully represent the overall U.S. trucking population. The benefit-cost analyses clearly showed the estimated benefits of LDW and RSC systems deployed at participating fleets outweighed the estimated costs. The analysis of the fleet crash data using the same methodology did not show a statistically significant difference in FCW-related crash occurrence rates between vehicles with or without an FCW system installed. Retrospectively, this result is primarily attributed to the lack of sufficient data (in terms of number of trucks with a deployed FCW system in the dataset) to be able to detect safety benefits with statistical significance at the observed level. Focus groups were also conducted with drivers and safety managers who had experience with LDW, RSC, or FCW systems. Drivers' and safety managers' opinions and perceptions of each OBSS type were generally very positive.
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    Pedestrian-Vehicle Interaction Data Dictionary and Analysis Protocol: Design, Development, and Pilot Application on Two Naturalistic Driving Databases
    Mabry, J. Erin; Wotring, Brian; McClafferty, Julie A.; Soccolich, Susan A.; Boucher, Ben (2024-08-09)
    Pedestrian conflicts with vehicles continue to be a serious problem in the United States. Unlike vehicle occupants, pedestrians do not have the protection of airbags, a steel structure surrounding them, or other vehicle safety technologies; their resultant vulnerability places them at higher risk of injury when involved in a traffic crash or conflict. Examining pedestrian behavior in a variety of settings and interaction severity levels supports research goals to improve pedestrian safety. The goals of this study were to: 1. Create an inclusive dictionary of video data analysis variables that details and describes interactions between pedestrians and motorized vehicles; and 2. Develop and pilot test a Pedestrian-Vehicle Interaction Data Reduction Protocol (PVIP) using existing naturalistic driving datasets. Implementing the PVIP confirmed that coding elements related to the interaction response between the pedestrian and vehicle from each perspective, and according to the three epoch stages (i.e., leading up to, during, and following the interaction), was critical for characterizing the entire interaction with consideration of all viewpoints. Pedestrian behaviors, locations, communication strategies, distractions, impairments, and glance behaviors were observed and coded at each stage of the epoch to account for behavioral, sensory-related, and positional changes of the pedestrian occurring over the course of the interaction that could impact the outcome. Similarly, coding the vehicle maneuver, driver behaviors, driving-related tasks, and glance behavior across the interaction epoch may be important elements to consider for pedestrian safety. Pedestrian location across the epoch was also an important variable in the pilot analyses. This study is the first of its kind to design, develop, and systematically apply a comprehensive, video-based, and pedestrian-centric data reduction protocol to NDS data to explore and describe interactions between pedestrians and vehicles for better understanding of pedestrian safety. The output of this project is a comprehensive and systematic PVIP that can be used to characterize pedestrian-vehicle interactions and behaviors. The protocol is organized so that researchers may select questions or groups of questions that are applicable for their specific research objectives in an à la carte fashion to create a focused protocol that fully explores a pedestrian-vehicle scenario using available data.
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    Pre-Employment Screening Best Practices in the Commercial Motor Vehicle Industry
    Mabry, J. Erin; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Glenn, T. Laurel (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2020-05-22)
    This study documents innovative and successful practices for pre-employment screening in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) industry and assesses the prevalence and effectiveness of these pre-employment screening practices in a sample of CMV operations. A 47-item Web-based survey queried participating carriers’ (i) use of various pre-employment screening practices, (ii) effectiveness of pre-employment screening practices, (iii) reasons why pre-employment screening practices are used or unused, and (iv) descriptive data on the participating carrier (fleet size, operation type, etc.). The 40 survey respondents included carriers of different sizes and operation types but should be viewed as a convenience sample and not reflective of the overall CMV population. Based on the results, effective screening techniques in order of their effectiveness ratings from survey respondents include performance or skills testing, background checks, personality testing, medical examination, physical ability testing, and social media screening.
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    Safety Benefits of a Carrier-implemented Sleep Apnea Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
    Mabry, J. Erin; Glenn, T. Laurel; Soccolich, Susan A.; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Durmer, Jeffrey (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2022-10-11)
    The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) collaborated with a leading third-party population sleep health provider, Fusion Health, and two for-hire carriers to perform an independent analysis of the safety benefits of two, carrier-implemented obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) programs for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers (OSAFE). The research team obtained OSA diagnostic and treatment data from Fusion Health and safety and driver information from the participating carriers. The crash types assessed in the analysis included claims-only, on-road, and preventable crashes. To compare OSA-treated drivers to drivers without diagnosed OSA, a matched cohort approach was taken to include treated drivers and drivers without diagnosed OSA. Safety performance was investigated to explore crash rates before and during PAP treatment, crash rates by treatment adherence and average usage, and crash rates before and during treatment for drivers with a previous crash. The main findings from this study include the following: (1) high PAP adherence rates among OSA drivers, with more than 90% of drivers from both carriers meeting full-adherence requirements for PAP compliance; (2) support for the safety benefits of PAP treatment in CMV drivers who were OSA positive and demonstrated full adherence to treatment; (3) pronounced safety benefits for CMV drivers that experienced a crash prior to beginning PAP treatment; (4) a dose-response safety benefit of PAP use among drivers at Carrier A; and (5) for Carrier A drivers with full adherence to PAP, higher rates of claims-only and preventable crashes before and during treatment compared to similar control drivers. Given that fully compliant PAP treatment was associated with reductions in on-road and preventable crashes, carriers should focus on (1) identifying OSA drivers through effective screening programs, (2) providing PAP treatment, (3) monitoring PAP compliance, and (4) providing support to assist drivers in maintaining OSA compliance.
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    Trucking Along: Safe Drives, Healthy Lives
    Meissner, Kary; Sloss, Jolee; Mabry, J. Erin; Gray, April; Martin, Cindy; Levin, Jacob; Camden, Matthew C. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2023-08-02)
    This project was initiated to update, refresh, expand, and rebrand the Driving Healthy website and social media accounts into a comprehensive and inclusive healthy driving community platform: Trucking Along: Safe Drives, Healthy Lives. The research team added information, resources, and tools to support healthy habits, both on and beyond the road. Topics covered now include healthy eating, exercise, sleep, mental health, equity and inclusion, and safety on the road, including bringing awareness to the issue of human trafficking and how CMV drivers can help at-risk individuals. The update also added a focus on content and resources for women CMV drivers, who represent a growing but often overlooked group within the trucking industry. The team added new information, including a section dedicated to bringing awareness to sexual harassment. In addition to targeted content for new, seasoned, and prospective CMV drivers, the Trucking Along community platform added information, resources, and tips for end users, who play a critical role in providing support and encouragement to drivers within their’ social and workplace networks. The overall goal of this project was to create a comprehensive and accessible resource that could be used by drivers, from various backgrounds and walks of life, at all stages in their career, to educate them on being happy, safe, and healthy in their trucking careers. The team strives to continue growing and expanding the Trucking Along community platform to continue providing accurate, free, and relevant health information to CMV drivers from all backgrounds.
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    Trucking Fleet Concept of Operations for Automated Driving System-equipped Commercial Motor Vehicles
    Krum, Andrew; Mabry, J. Erin; Hanowski, Richard J.; Stojanovski, O.; Manke, A.; Adebisi, A.; Hammond, R.; Hickman, Jeffrey S.; Miller, Andrew M.; Camden, Matthew C.; Potts, I.; Harwood, D.; Jin, X.; Pugliese, B.; Ridgeway, C.; Werner, A.; Walker, M.; Kerns, L.; Meissner, K.; Parks, L.; Argueta, O.; Griffor, E.; Sarkar, A.; Stephens, M.; Yang, G.; Levin, J.; Faulkner, D.; Petersen, M.; Golusky, M.; Tidwell, S.; Crowder, T.; Bragg, H.; Terranova, P.; Thapa, S. (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2024-07)
    The primary goals of the CONOPS project were to: i) collect information and practices on how to safely integrate ADS-equipped CMVs into the U.S. road transportation system; ii) provide the USDOT with data; iii) demonstrate how to integrate and deploy ADS-equipped trucks in a productive and cooperative way into the existing road freight ecosystem; and iv) collaborate with a broad and diverse group that includes government entities, university and research institutes, trucking associations, and private partners. This research found that the path forward to maintain public acceptance and achieve goals of ADS-equipped CMV operational cost-effectiveness, increased freight productivity, and reduction of crashes is through human operational assurance of vehicle, automation, freight, and public safety through specification, maintenance, inspections, monitoring, insurance, metrics, roadway assessment, and secure communications, as well as continuous lifecycle performance checks.
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    Undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers: Application of STOP-Bang
    Glenn, T. Laurel; Mabry, J. Erin; Soccolich, Susan A.; Hickman, Jeffrey S. (National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence, 2020-04-06)
    Although several studies have estimated the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver population, limitations such as small sample sizes and study samples that are not representative of the STOP-Bang is a subjective and objective screening tool that assesses snoring, tiredness, observed apneas, hypertension, Body Mass Index (BMI), age, neck circumference, and gender. This study investigated the potential benefit of using a modified version of the STOP-Bang questionnaire to screen for OSA in the CMV population using data from the Commercial Driver Safety Risk Factors (CDSRF) study. Using the modified version of the STOP-Bang, 10 times more drivers (897 vs. 9,382) in the CDSRF study were classified as screening high for OSA (i.e., OSA Potential). Although these drivers moved from the No OSA group to the Potential OSA group, analyses using Poisson regression models still found that the OSA Diagnosed: Treated group had a significantly lower crash rate compared to the No OSA group. The efficacy of the STOP-Bang in screening for OSA in this population should be further evaluated.
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    Unravelling the Complexity of Irregular Shiftwork, Fatigue and Sleep Health for Commercial Drivers and the Associated Implications for Roadway Safety
    Mabry, J. Erin; Camden, Matthew C.; Miller, Andrew M.; Sarkar, Abhijit; Manke, Aditi; Ridgeway, Christiana; Iridiastadi, Hardianto; Crowder, Tarah; Islam, Mouyid; Soccolich, Susan A.; Hanowski, Richard J. (MDPI, 2022-11-10)
    Fatigue can be a significant problem for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The lifestyle of a long-haul CMV driver may include long and irregular work hours, inconsistent sleep schedules, poor eating and exercise habits, and mental and physical stress, all contributors to fatigue. Shiftwork is associated with lacking, restricted, and poor-quality sleep and variations in circadian rhythms, all shown to negatively affect driving performance through impaired in judgment and coordination, longer reaction times, and cognitive impairment. Overweight and obesity may be as high as 90% in CMV drivers, and are associated with prevalent comorbidities, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. As cognitive and motor processing declines with fatigue, driver performance decreases, and the risk of errors, near crashes, and crashes increases. Tools and assessments to determine and quantify the nature, severity, and impact of fatigue and sleep disorders across a variety of environments and populations have been developed and should be critically examined before being employed with CMV drivers. Strategies to mitigate fatigue in CMV operations include addressing the numerous personal, health, and work factors contributing to fatigue and sleepiness. Further research is needed across these areas to better understand implications for roadway safety.