Is Big Brother Going to Watch Truckers More and from a Distance??

[chefdennis]

I passed this mess last week as they were shuttling people in tour buses with HyWay patrol escorts last week...This should be interesting when or if it is put into place....

FMCSA showcases new, emerging roadside inspection technologies

The Trucker Staff
10/14/2010
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

GREEN COUNTY, Tenn. — FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro Thursday headlined a group of dignitaries participating in a Commercial Motor Vehicle Technology Showcase that featured new-to-market and emerging roadside inspection technologies designed to improve the safety performance of commercial trucks and buses and make the inspections more efficient.

Held at FMCSA’s Roadside Technology Corridor on Interstate 81 in Greene County, the showcase provided a first-hand look at how state-of-the-art technology better equips state law enforcement as they conduct commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety inspections. FMCSA, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Safety, Tennessee Department of Transportation, the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, organized the showcase.

If these technologies were fully deployed in all states and the trucking industry was fully participating through additional sensors on trucks, more than 250 lives per year could be saved and over 6,000 injuries a year could be avoided, it has that much potential, noted Jeff Loftus, chief of FMCSA's technology division.

“This is exciting stuff, indeed,“ said Ferro, who told The Trucker not only was she impressed by the safety potential and the way the technologies can “fundamentally improve the process“ of roadside inspections, but that it's also a testament to the cooperation between federal and state governments and public and private sectors.

It should be good news to carriers and drivers that use of the Wireless Roadside Inspection Program technology would input data on carriers' and drivers' good inspections, giving them “positive credit,” according to Ferro and Loftus. There has been concern with CSA 2010 that roadside inspection results could be skewed so this presents the opportunity to offset the bad inspections and violations would be diluted by good inspections, said Ferro.

This won't negate the use of traditional inspections but “improves efficiency,“ she said, adding that the WRI technology, increases “twenty-fold the number [of inspections] we can do today.“

In a real world setting, the showcase demonstrated various new safety technologies including:

• Wireless Roadside Inspection (WRI). Using a fixed site or mobile vehicle, the WRI is designed to conduct up to 25 times more vehicle inspections a year than the current, in-person inspection process. In real time, an inspector can obtain driver and carrier identity, vehicle condition and hours-of-service violations while the vehicle is traveling at highway speed.

• Smart Infrared Inspection System (SIRIS). SIRIS detects brake, wheel and tire problems by comparing infrared thermal images of wheels as the vehicle enters a weigh station. Once this technology is complete, it will use software to read thermal images and alert law enforcement if an inspection is needed.

• Performance-Based Brake Tester (PBBT). PBBT technology provides a safe, accurate and objective assessment of a vehicle’s brake force and overall performance.

• Medium Truck Duty Cycle. This safety sensor technology outfits the vehicle with brake stroke, weight and tire pressure monitoring systems that collect data designed to help researchers develop tools that determine a vehicle’s safety fitness, and

• Technology In Motion Vehicle (TMV). The TMV demonstration vehicle, equipped with electronic on-board recorders, raises stakeholder awareness and increases adoption of the featured technologies.

“FMCSA is committed to strengthening commercial vehicle safety through the use of new technology,” Ferro said. “By providing a platform to test, evaluate and refine new enforcement technologies, we are able to clearly understand their benefits and encourage deployment on the state level.”

“Safety is our top priority,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “This technology showcase will help us as we seek innovative and more efficient ways to make our roads safer for everyone.”

To learn more about the Commercial Motor Vehicle Technology Showcase, visit Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Dorothy Cox of The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected].

 

[greg334]

I didn't know that the DOTs priority was safety, I thought it was transportation?

 

[Turtle]

When you make it about safety, you can justify what yer doin' and get people to roll over on all kinds of things. Same with children, if it's about the chiiiiiildren, it's all good. If it saves just one life (like the bazillion dollars that has been spent on the Amber Alert system which has saved to date one life), it's all worth it. If it saves 250, there ya go, it's a bargain at twice the price.

 

[ConfusedMuse]

"495 children have been saved directly from AMBER Alerts-most during the past five years." That's 99 kids a year, and 8 a month. -2009 Amber Advocate . machinnes fail too, perhaps not as often as humans but nothing is fail safe.

 

[Turtle]

The numbers from the Amber Advocate, which is a newsletter produced to promote the Amber Alert system, are misleading at best, just as are most of the numbers from proponents of the system, especially those who's jobs depend on it.

In most cases where Amber Alerts are issued, the Alerts play no role in the eventual return of abducted children. But if the child is returned safely, it's another point for the Amber Alert system, just the same. Amber Alert issued, child returned, ta-da, Amber Alert to the rescue, never mind the fact that the child would have been returned safely anyway.

Amber Alert successes are generally in child custody fights that don't really and truly pose a risk to the child. And in those rare instances where kidnappers do intend to rape or kill the child, Amber Alerts usually fail to save lives. In many cases, it turns out, the child was already dead before the Amber Alert was issued.

"A team led by University of Nevada criminologist Timothy Griffin looked at hundreds of abduction cases between 2003 and 2006 and found that Amber Alerts - for all their urgency and drama - actually accomplish little." Here's the complete story at the Boston Globe, and it's a fascinating read. The Amber Alert system is more effective as theater than as a way to protect children - The Boston Globe

 

[Tennesseahawk]

But... we have to have symbolism, don't we? I mean... the country thrives on symbolism.

 

[Turtle]

If it saves just one child, it's all worth it.

 

[CharlesD]

But... we have to have symbolism, don't we? I mean... the country thrives on symbolism.

It's all about what makes people feel good. Feelings are way more important than facts, right?

 

[Jefferson3000]

But... we have to have symbolism, don't we? I mean... the country thrives on symbolism.

Kind of like that proverbial car run into the ditch......with a pseudo-Pepsi looking bumper sticker on it.

 

[bobwg]

The numbers from the Amber Advocate, which is a newsletter produced to promote the Amber Alert system, are misleading at best, just as are most of the numbers from proponents of the system, especially those who's jobs depend on it.

In most cases where Amber Alerts are issued, the Alerts play no role in the eventual return of abducted children. But if the child is returned safely, it's another point for the Amber Alert system, just the same. Amber Alert issued, child returned, ta-da, Amber Alert to the rescue, never mind the fact that the child would have been returned safely anyway.

Amber Alert successes are generally in child custody fights that don't really and truly pose a risk to the child. And in those rare instances where kidnappers do intend to rape or kill the child, Amber Alerts usually fail to save lives. In many cases, it turns out, the child was already dead before the Amber Alert was issued.

"A team led by University of Nevada criminologist Timothy Griffin looked at hundreds of abduction cases between 2003 and 2006 and found that Amber Alerts - for all their urgency and drama - actually accomplish little." Here's the complete story at the Boston Globe, and it's a fascinating read. The Amber Alert system is more effective as theater than as a way to protect children - The Boston Globe

A 2002 case in Los Angeles(which is mentioned in the article if you read the whole thing} 2 girls are kidnapped at gun point and an Amber Alert was issued with tips from citizens who heard about the Amber alert on radio and tv , police were able to track down the kidnapper, police killed the kidnapper and rescued the girls. what is the cost of 1 girls life? or in this case 2 girls lives?

 

[Turtle]

what is the cost of 1 girls life? or in this case 2 girls lives?

Like I said, a bazillion dollars.
Look, I'm happy for any life that actually gets saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert. But Amber Alerts simply aren't very effective, the success rates are grossly overblown, it cost a lot, and end up getting entire communities or even entire states all hopped up on panic and adrenalin and anxiety for what is most often much ado about nothing. Considering the number of Amber Alerts that have been issued, it's pretty sad that you can count on one hand how many lives have actually been saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert that would have not been saved by any other means.

You wanna save lives using Amber Alerts, fine, then on those Amber Alert signs above the road, put something like

"USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL WHEN CHANGING LANES"

"STOP CUTTING IN FRONT OF TRUCKS"

"IF YOU'RE GETTING PASSED ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG LANE"

"STOP TEXTING WHILE DRIVING YOU STUPID MORON"

That'll save more lives in a week than all the Amber Alerts put together.

 

[bobwg]

Like I said, a bazillion dollars.
Look, I'm happy for any life that actually gets saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert. But Amber Alerts simply aren't very effective, the success rates are grossly overblown, it cost a lot, and end up getting entire communities or even entire states all hopped up on panic and adrenalin and anxiety for what is most often much ado about nothing. Considering the number of Amber Alerts that have been issued, it's pretty sad that you can count on one hand how many lives have actually been saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert that would have not been saved by any other means.

You wanna save lives using Amber Alerts, fine, then on those Amber Alert signs above the road, put something like

"USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL WHEN CHANGING LANES"

"STOP CUTTING IN FRONT OF TRUCKS"

"IF YOU'RE GETTING PASSED ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG LANE"

"STOP TEXTING WHILE DRIVING YOU STUPID MORON"

That'll save more lives in a week than all the Amber Alerts put together.

They already have signs saying dont text and drive on those electronic signs also buckle up or get a ticket etc and there are bill boards about texting and driving and Ohio and some other states have signs about not cutting off trucks or you get a ticket and the story states they did not look at all of the Amber alerts for that time frame only a fraction and the researcher in the story tries to claim there is no danger to the child in custody kidnappings which is bs and the researcher does say Amber alerts did play a role in recovery in about 1/3 of the cases with tips that helped police or where the kidnapper heard the Amber alert and released the child. 1/3 of the cases? seems pretty good to me sure would be nice if it was 100 % of the cases

 

[Turtle]

Sorry, but that article I linked is not the only outside research that's been done, and all the wanting and wishing in the world won't make Amber Alerts as effective as people try and make then out to be. Those who are involved with Amber Alerts or are proponents of it will use anything and everything remotely resembling a success to claim a success.

Just like you did here. You believe in it, so you will defend it, even if that means twisting things to favor it. Like, where you took one statement out of context, twisted it to become a blanket statement, and then dismissed it as BS. You stated, "...and the researcher in the story tries to claim there is no danger to the child in custody kidnappings {which is bs}," but that's not what the researcher claimed at all. He absolutely did not say that there is no danger to the child in custody kidnappings, he said, "Their successes were generally in child custody fights that didn't pose a risk to the child." There are certainly some custody kidnappings where there is a danger to the child, but there apparently wasn't any Amber Alert successes in those cases. Where there were successes, however, were in cases where the custody kidnapping didn't pose a risk to the child.

Another example of spinning of out of context to put Amber Alert in a more favorable light is where you state, "the researcher does say Amber alerts did play a role in recovery in about 1/3 of the cases with tips that helped police or where the kidnapper heard the Amber alert and released the child. 1/3 of the cases," but you stopped there and didn't qualify it with the same qualifications that the researcher did.

When Griffin looked at those cases, however, what he found was that very few were the sort of imminent-harm situations Amber Alert was created for. In fact, only a tenth of Amber Alerts, he determined, helped rescue a child from what Griffin saw as a dangerous situation - and that group included situations in which an armed parent abducted his or her own child. While an armed parent is not something to be taken lightly, Griffin says, it's very different from a sexual predator with rape and murder on his mind.

"If a mom is told by a court she can't see her kid, doesn't trust her husband, and abducts the child, it's stretching reason to say we need an Amber Alert to save the kid's life," Griffin argues. He cites studies showing that, even before Amber Alert's existence, 70 percent of parental abduction cases were resolved in less than a week.

"Thus, AMBER Alert 'failures' are usually cases when there was little hope and 'successes' are merely instances when there was relatively little threat," Griffin and fellow criminologist Monica Miller wrote in a paper earlier this year. "An AMBER Alert is therefore essentially irrelevant compared to the main factor (the perpetrator's intention) that determines an abducted child's fate."

I wish it was more effective than it is, but it's just not.

 

[bobwg]

So with your reasoning we should just scrap the whole Amber alert and use the electric signs for other things and not even try to make the system better and where is the proof that Amber alerts raise fear, etc and all these bad things he claims? might raise awareness but I would not call that fear or anxiety

 

[Turtle]

Are you seriously asking me to show proof of a feeling? You don't think an Amber Alert for an armed and dangerous child kidnapper who has been obviously running around the neighborhood doesn't raise a little fear and anxiety amongst parents of young children, and others in a community?

Kidnapping of a child by a stranger is actually a very rare thing. But you wouldn't know it by watching the news and reading Amber Alerts. But it is a fact of life. Statistics put this type of kidnapping at between 115 (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) and 300 (other sources) per year. Twenty-four hour news coverage bombards peoples’ living rooms and psyches with the knowledge of the horror that human beings sometimes inflict upon each other.

In a study at the Mayo Clinic, almost 75% of parents feared that their children might be abducted and 30% of parents reported that this fear was more intense and frequent than any other concern, such as car accidents which are far more likely to occur. An Amber Alert does very little to alleviate this fear and anxiety. Kids watch the 24 hours news channels, too. Not like parents do, but they see it. And they see and hear the Amber Alerts on the news, and kids can be scared to death when they see or hear something like that and also see their parents reacting with concern, fear and anxiety.

The dilemma for parents is that they need to set safety rules for their children and inform them about how to keep themselves safe. At the same time, they must protect their children from the debilitating anxiety that can result from focusing on every danger and uncertainty in the world because that anxiety can literally cripple people and take away their lives in another way.

Overly fearful helicopter parents who convey to their children that the world is an unsafe place can be a contributing factor in the development of anxiety disorders.

I don't know if scraping the whole system makes sense, since it's already out there. But I'm not sure it can be made any better insofar as Amber Alerts are concerned, unless they limit them to witnessed abductions and not just "My kid isn't home from school yet", which is what a lot of them end up being. There was one here in Laredo just yesterday that ended up being that very thing. But I do think that pounding those signs with some of the road safety message above would save more lives than the Amber Alert will.

BTW, here's a nifty pyramid sche...uhm, I mean Multi-Level Marketing opportunity, that plays right into the fear and anxiety of which I speak.

 

[jrcarroll]

Like I said, a bazillion dollars.
Look, I'm happy for any life that actually gets saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert. But Amber Alerts simply aren't very effective, the success rates are grossly overblown, it cost a lot, and end up getting entire communities or even entire states all hopped up on panic and adrenalin and anxiety for what is most often much ado about nothing. Considering the number of Amber Alerts that have been issued, it's pretty sad that you can count on one hand how many lives have actually been saved as a direct result of an Amber Alert that would have not been saved by any other means.

You wanna save lives using Amber Alerts, fine, then on those Amber Alert signs above the road, put something like

"USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL WHEN CHANGING LANES"

"STOP CUTTING IN FRONT OF TRUCKS"

"IF YOU'RE GETTING PASSED ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE IN THE WRONG LANE"

"STOP TEXTING WHILE DRIVING YOU STUPID MORON"

That'll save more lives in a week than all the Amber Alerts put together.

First off you need to educate the public to read, then signs as above 'might' save a life or two.

PS Turtle: saw a license plate frame on Monday, =
"beware of the turtle". car parked in Norfolk, Va