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1. Report No
FHWA-JPO-08-025
2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Kentucky Commercial Vehicle Safety Applications Evaluation: Technical Report
5. Report Date
January 31, 2008
6. Performing Organization Code
G604618
7. Authors
V.J. Brown, M.S. Anderson, R.N. Sell, J.A. Zewatsky, J.E. Orban
8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Battelle
505 King Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201-2693

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
 
11. Contract or Grant No.
DTFH61-02-C-00134; Task BA34018
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
United States Department of Transportation
ITS Joint Program Office
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Technical Report, 6/2005 to 1/2008
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
EDL No. 14400
15. Supplementary Notes
Mr. Jeff Secrist (GTOM); Ms. Jane Lappin and Mr. John Augustine (COTRs)
16. Abstract
An advanced-technology Integrated Safety and Security Enforcement System (ISSES), now deployed at three commercial vehicle inspection sites along interstate highways in Kentucky, was evaluated from the point of view of system performance, potential effects on inspection selection efficiency (choosing the highest-risk trucks from the stream of commerce), user acceptance, and costs. Overall, despite the fact that commercial vehicle law enforcement staffing levels in Kentucky did not allow for full-time, dedicated use of the ISSES by inspectors at the time of the evaluation, the subsystems that were under evaluation in this task were found to be performing effectively in a stand-alone mode. The ISSES software and components now deployed, though operational, are considered to be in a development mode. The roadside system was not yet integrated with in-state or national databases of historical safety information on carriers or vehicles, so the ISSES was not able to provide instant, “actionable” historical information that the inspectors could apply in their decision-making. Such integration has the potential, if implemented, to afford significant benefits in vehicle screening and safety enforcement. Kentucky’s current inspection selection methods were compared with potential applications of ISSES technology across a set of scenarios, used to model improvements in commercial vehicle safety. Applying various combinations of inspection selection strategies and available or envisioned technologies for real-time vehicle identification and safety information exchange at the roadside, in a hypothetical statewide deployment supporting about 44,000 vehicle inspections and 86,000 driver inspections in a year, the ISSES was estimated to contribute to incremental reductions of between 63 and 629 commercial vehicle-related crashes per year, reductions of between 16 and 163 personal injuries, and reductions of up to 7 fatalities. Overall, to the extent that they had been exposed to the ISSES, the users were positive toward it and appeared to recognize its potential, but within their current organizational environment, they regarded it as more of a developmental test or research device than as a tool that they wanted to use immediately in their day-to-day commercial vehicle inspection and law enforcement duties.
17. Key Word
Intelligent Transportation Systems, Safety, CVISN, Commercial Truck, Motor Carrier, Inspection, Weigh Station Bypass, Electronic Screening, Law Enforcement, Nuclear Monitoring, Thermal Imaging, Infrared
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public.
19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified
21. No. of Pages
146
22. Price
N/A

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