Check wheels and rims

• Any wheel contacts unrelated vehicle components at any point through its full range of travel;

• Spiders have cracks across a spoke, hub or web area;

• Wheels are not compatible with hubs;

• Valve protection lugs are missing.

Teens Are At Risk

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States.

• In 2003, 5,240 teens were killed in passenger-vehicle crashes, and 458,000 teens were injured.

• Sixty-three percent of the fatally injured 16-to-20-year-old passenger vehicle occupants were unrestrained, compared to 55 percent for adults 21 or older.

• 2003, the fatality rate (per 100,000 population) in motor vehicle crashes for 16-to-20-year-olds was more than twice the rate than for all other ages combined (25.7 versus 11.4 respectively).

• From 1997 to 2003, the fatality rate (per 100,000 population) in motor vehicle crashes for 16-to-20-year-olds was approximately seven times the rate for 8-to-15-year-olds.

• Drivers are less likely to use restraints when they have been drinking. In 2003, 65 percent of the young drivers (15 to 20 years old) of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained. Of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed in crashes, 74 percent were unrestrained.

• 2003, a teen died in a traffic crash an average of once every hour on weekends (weekends are defined as 6 p.m. Friday through 5:59 a.m. Monday) and nearly once every two hours during the week.

Check lights and reflectors

• Any rear light other than a reversing light is installed or damaged to the extent that white light shows to the front or rear of the vehicle;

• Any amber clearance light or front turn signal is damaged so that it shows white light (except vehicles prior 7/73);

• The number plate light is not directing light onto the surface of the rear number plate;

• Any optional light or reflector interferes with the effective operation of any compulsory light or reflector;

• Any light has a tinted cover over it that affects its intended operation;

• There is any other type of opaque cover over a headlight which cannot be readily removed;

• Any light does not comply with the requirements as specified in the Federal Office of Road Safety Vehicle Standards Bulletin No.9.

Visually inspect direct filled internally mounted containers

• the passenger compartment of the vehicle is not sealed from the container space;

• the container space vent(s) is obstructed;

• the container space vent outlet is less than 250mm from the exhaust system;

• wiring is not insulated or secured at intervals of not more than 600mm.

Check tow bar

• The towbar is not securely mounted or is bent or cracked;

• Any mounting bolts, fasteners or weld beads have advanced corrosion or cracks;

• Where ADR 62 applies the tow bar and towing ring does not display the manufacturer’s name/trademark, the gross mass rating and the make and model of the vehicle/s for which it is designed;

• Where any part of the tow bar is removable, the bolts, studs, nuts etc fastening those parts do not have a locking device such as a U-clip, split pin, spring washer or nylon lock nut.

Check brake adjustment

• With any brake fully applied, a brake adjustment indicator runs out of travel or indicates that adjustment is necessary;

• Brake chamber push or pull rods move more than 80% of their max stroke or travel over centre with the brakes fully applied;

• The park brake and/or emergency brake is not capable of being fully applied without the control running out of available travel;

• The brake adjusters are bent, damaged or excessively worn, or are not properly adjusted.

Driver Fatigue Monitoring in Onboard Recorders – Initial Assessments

This study builds off previous research and takes information regarding driver alertness state and integrates it with electronic onboard recorder data to provide carrier management real-time fatigue monitoring data. This data will help to predict and educate drivers to obtain adequate rest before operating a commercial motor vehicle. This information can also be used to guide individual rest and napping breaks while assisting carrier management in developing company rest policies.

Graduated Licensing Can Help

Teenagers perceive a driver’s license as a ticket to freedom.It’s momentous for parents, too. Though they are oftenaware of 16-year-olds’ high crash risks, they’re relieved not to have to chauffeur their children around anymore. But the price is steep. Crashes are the leading cause of death among American teens, accounting for more than one third of all deaths of 16- to 18-year-olds.

An effective way to reduce this toll is to enact graduated licensing, under which driving privileges are phased in to restrict beginners’ initial experience behind the wheel to lower-risk situations. The restrictions gradually are lifted, so teenagers are more experienced and mature when they get their full, unrestricted licenses.

Graduated systems that are well designed restrict night driving, limit teen passengers, set zero alcohol tolerance, and require a specified amount of supervised practice during the initial phase. Graduated licensing laws have reduced teens’ crash rates in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. But not all States have such laws, and the laws aren’t all strong.

Identification Process

The information for the motor carrier responsible for the trip on which the crash occurs should be recorded on the crash report. This may or may not be the company on the vehicle door or trailer. In order to determine the carrier responsible and locate that carrier's information, it is important to utilize all the sources of information available. A procedural approach to accurately obtaining the information should include the following sources.

• Examination of the side of the vehicle.
• Interview of the driver.
• Examination of the shipping papers or bus manifest for this trip can provide the name of the motor carrier responsible for the load, but is not a good source for the USDOT.

Traffic Enforcement

The Traffic Enforcement (TE) sub-module provides information about the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) Traffic Enforcement Program which is a component of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP), a grant program administered and funded by the FMCSA and conducted by State enforcement personnel.

An inspection is identified as a traffic enforcement event when at least one traffic violation is present in the inspection. Only those traffic enforcements that initiate a subsequent roadside inspection are included in the MCSAP program. Also, if a roadside inspection results in only alcohol or drug related violations then it is not considered a Traffic Enforcement inspection. The traffic enforcement program is based on nineteen state or local traffic enforcement violations noted in conjunction with a roadside inspection.

Beginning Drivers’ Crashes Differ

Teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile traveled, they have the highest involvement rates in crashes, from crashes involving property damage only to those that are fatal. The problem is worst among 16-year-olds, who have the most limited driving experience and an immaturity that often results in risk-taking behind the wheel. The characteristics of 16-year-olds’ fatal crashes shed light on the problem

Third-party Insurance

If you select Released Value, some movers may also offer to sell or obtain for you separate liability insurance. The cost of this insurance is not included in the basic move and must be purchased separately by you. This is not valuation coverage governed by Federal law—it is optional insurance regulated by State law.

If you purchase this coverage, the mover remains liable for the amount up to 60 cents per pound per article; but the rest of the loss is recoverable from the insurance company up to the amount of insurance you purchased. Your mover is required to issue the policy or other written record of the purchase and provide you with a copy at the time of purchase.

You also have the option of purchasing insurance from a third-party insurance company. Before purchasing insurance, check your homeowner's insurance policy to see if you're already covered.

Safety Effectiveness of Speed Limiters

Understanding speed as a highway safety issue necessitates accurately defining the relationships between speed limits, travel speeds, and safety. Additional data is needed to evaluate adaptive speed control systems for altering vehicle speed based on roadway conditions and the appropriate speed limit. Joining before-and-after test focusing on the safety benefits of adaptive speed systems provides an important opportunity for FMCSA and carriers to work together on research design and implementation efforts, with the shared objective of improving safety. This type of testing requires a commensurate effort to collect and share valuable data. In addition, FMCSA would facilitate testing and information sharing by developing a systematic way to collect and evaluate data from before-and-after testing that would typically exceed the available resources of industry stakeholders. As a result, the purpose of this project is to identify safety impacts of adaptive speed control technologies for adjusting vehicle speed to the posted speed limit. This project will be conducted in cooperation with NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Indirect Viewing System and Related Tests

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and FMCSA have a joint project underway with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) involving the use of Camera/Video Imaging Systems (C/VISs) in large trucks to improve visibility. Both mirror surrogates and enhancements are being studied and tested. Mirror enhancements provide the driver with images that are presently unavailable from standard mirror configurations (e.g., elimination of blind spots). Mirror surrogates provide the driver with the same or similar images that are available from standard mirror configurations. In the first part of this project, the tests are limited to conventional video systems, with cameras at appropriate locations on the exterior of the vehicle and with video monitors in the cab at locations that have been selected on the basis of human factors considerations and preliminary testing.

The second part of this project is directed at enhancing C/VISs for night and poor visibility conditions. Following this part of the project, further development of the enhanced C/VIS is planned, so that it can operate reliably outside of a controlled setting (i.e., Smart Road) and to test it in an over-the-road setting field test.

Check oil leaks

Oil leaks from the engine, gearbox, differential, power steering or any joint or seal:

• on to brake friction surfaces, or
• on to the exhaust system; or
• on to the road surface; or
• at a rate of more than one drop every 30 seconds at any joint or seal.

Third-party Insurance

If you select Released Value, some movers may also offer to sell or obtain for you separate liability insurance. The cost of this insurance is not included in the basic move and must be purchased separately by you. This is not valuation coverage governed by Federal law—it is optional insurance regulated by State law.

If you purchase this coverage, the mover remains liable for the amount up to 60 cents per pound per article; but the rest of the loss is recoverable from the insurance company up to the amount of insurance you purchased. Your mover is required to issue the policy or other written record of the purchase and provide you with a copy at the time of purchase.

You also have the option of purchasing insurance from a third-party insurance company. Before purchasing insurance, check your homeowner's insurance policy to see if you're already covered.