1. Protecting Pedestrians and Bicyclists, One Safer Truck at a Time
July 11, 2015
The National Transportation Systems Center
U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Advancing transportation innovation for the public good

2. Outline Brief introduction to Volpe Vision Zero context
Why focus on trucks?
Side underride of bicyclists and pedestrians
Established safety countermeasures
Saving lives and fuel?
The opportunity

3. Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center
Unique agency within U.S. DOT
100% fee-for-service
All modes of transportation
Cross-disciplinary
570 federal staff, 400 onsite contractors
Based in Cambridge, MA
Key messages are that we’re part of USDOT but fee-for-service, multidisciplinary, and have previous background on vehicle and safety issues generally and sideguards more particularly

4. “Advancing transportation innovation for the public good”
Volpe’s Purpose
“Advancing transportation innovation for the public good”

5. Vision Zero
Legislation and Enforcement
Education
Street design & Infrastructure
Vehicle-based Safety
“The City of New York must no longer regard traffic crashes as mere ‘accidents,’ but rather as preventable incidents that can be systematically addressed. No level of fatality…is inevitable or acceptable.”
Source: NYC Vision Zero Action Plan, 2014

6. Vision Zero Legislation and Enforcement Street design & Infrastructure
Education
Street design & Infrastructure
Vehicle-based Safety

7. Toward Zero Deaths Legislation and Enforcement
Education
Street design & Infrastructure
Vehicle-based Safety
Vision Zero is alternately referred to as Toward Zero Deaths, a policy that US DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx officially endorsed in just the past month.

8. Why focus on trucks?

9. Why focus on trucks?

10. Why focus on trucks?

11. Why focus on trucks?

12. Why focus on trucks? Legislation and Enforcement
Large truck design presents inherent challenges for pedestrian and cyclist safety
4% of vehicles in U.S. (urban and rural)
11% of bicyclist fatalities, 7% of ped fatalities
4% of NYC vehicles
32% of bicyclist fatalities, 12% of ped fatalities
Key contributing factors
Large blind spots
Side underride  fall under rear wheels
NTSB figure is for
Legislation and Enforcement
Education
Street design & Infrastructure
Vehicle-based Safety

14. International side guard adoption
No U.S. standards
EU since 1989
UK since 1986
Brazil since 2011

15. Bringing side guards stateside

16. Volpe partners with cities

17. Volpe partners with cities

18. Recommendation schematic
Based on EU and UK standards and on Monash Univ., Transport Research Lab and Volpe recommendations
Panel-style recommended, except as impractical; may incorporate other elements such as toolboxes
FRONT
13.8”
42-60”
REAR
13.8”
11.8”
(or 3.9” to cab panel if not cab-over)
11.8”
FRONT
9.8”
REAR
4.7”
1.2”
440 lbs. force test

19. Representative side guard from OEM
Panel-style side guards on refuse trucks

20. Representative side guard retrofits
Rail-style side guards (UK)
Can incorporate a fuel tank, toolbox, etc.
Mounted to truck’s frame rail or underbody

21. Representative side guard retrofits
Side guards in operation on snow plows

22. Innovative side guard OEM
Side guard with integrated toolboxes on RO-RO

23. North American side guard deployment
Side guards on City of Boston vehicles

24. North American sideguard deployment
Side guards on City of New York vehicles
Also Portland, DC, Cambridge, and a number of other cities.
Also: Portland, OR; Washington, D.C; Cambridge, MA; and other municipal fleets.

25. North American private sector deployment

26. Saving Lives, Saving Fuel: Aerodynamic Truck Side Guards
Thank you to:

27. Sideguard/skirt overlap: Benefits
Decrease bike/ped fatalities & serious injuries?
Spray suppression?
Environmental & fuel benefit at higher speeds?
Decrease bike/ped fatalities and serious injuries
Environmental & fuel benefit at higher speeds
Sideguards
Sideskirts

28. Innovative designs Application of commercial aerodynamic sideskirts
Adjustable/retractable designs
Sources: North American Council for Freight Efficiency, Laydon Composites

29. Three pillars of vehicle-based safety
Crash mitigation
Evaluation
Crash prevention

30. Evaluate and prioritize technologies
Different sideguard designs
Blind spot mirrors
Front
Side
Blind spot cameras
Directional
360-degree
Blind spot Fresnel lenses
Blind spot bicyclist/pedestrian sensors
Ultrasonic, radar, etc.
Interior/exterior alerts
Turn alarms (manual or automated)
Audible
Visual
Human factor and operator training implications
Educational messaging: external and internal

31. Innovative sideguard retrofit
Panel sideguard on cement mixer with flip-up rail sideguard for city operation; also includes sensor and alarm

32. The opportunity Lead in truck-based bicyclist and pedestrian safety
Pilot side guards and other safety countermeasures
Collect safety benefit and loss reduction data
Develop voluntary adoption programs
Introduce new insurance discount
Transfer best practices nationally with Volpe’s help
Converge the aerodynamic side skirt and urban side guard product slates
Spur market capacity
Document win-win outcomes

33. Technical overview
Announcing two new resources: first, a two-page Technical Memo summarizing side guard technology, benefits, and opportunity. You can download this and circulate to inform your organization.

34. Volpe resource website
Overview of truck side guards and other safety technologies
International research, Volpe research
How your organization can take the next steps
City
Agency
Fleet
Insurer
Owner
Point of contact
Second: a new resource website that Volpe launches today to inform all stakeholders on this issue and provide a single point of reference.

35. Thank you Alex Epstein, Ph.D. (617) 494-2539 alexander.epstein@dot.gov
Acknowledgments
Sean Peirce
Eran Segev
Andrew Breck
Coralie Cooper
Charlotte Burger
Keith Kerman
Mahanth Joishy
Jacek Graczyk
Kristopher Carter