SIDEBAR: Incentives to use safety technology?

Truckers need to be encouraged to use new technologies for safety and compliance. Tax incentives would be a good start.

That’s what Freightliner Corp. president and CEO Jim Hebe (below) told the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board last month, explaining that electronics, communications, and other high-tech ideas will continue to hold promise for improving truck safety. He cited advanced systems that warn drivers of road hazards, combat driver fatigue, and improve vehicle performance. While many of the largest U.S. fleets have invested heavily in safety technology, the current 12% excise tax on new truck purchases gives some truck operators an incentive to buy the cheapest possible truck, Hebe said.

He suggested introducing federal tax incentives-similar to those available for alternative-fuel vehicles-for fleets buying vehicle safety systems.

“There is ample precedent in the form of existing federal tax incentives on the incremental cost of alternative-fuel trucks for emissions reduction,” Hebe said. “Certainly, safety can be no less important.”

He projected that there will be-without significant productivity gains-an increase of 700,000 to 900,000 heavy-duty trucks on U.S. highways over the next five years. To ensure continued safety of truck drivers and the motoring public, truck makers must offer a variety of technological “countermeasures,” he said.

That’s not to say, however, that technology is a panacea. Hebe said the industry as a whole must take an integrated approach to safety that considers all factors, with emphasis on driver recruitment, instruction, licensing, behavior, and performance. “The driver remains the key to safe operations,” he said.

Making strides in truck and highway safety-while at the same time ensuring industry growth and profitability-will require a co-operative effort from all stakeholders in the transportation industry and a “progressive dialog” with government. “Our industry-manufacturers, operators and shippers alike-needs to be a proactive supporter, not only for safety improvements, but for a package of measures that promote economic growth, reduce accidents and lessen congestion,” he said.