Direct Vision for Fleets, Personal Trucks and SUVs, UN Road Safety Events, and More

Hi Friend,

We are making a strong case for Direct Vision to become the industry standard in the U.S. And while we as an organization tend to focus on fleets, we also understand and support the need for drivers of cars, SUVs and trucks to be able to see ALL road users – whether they are in a car or walking, biking or scootering.

As we begin working towards the week where Road Safety will really shine in NYC, September 19th, when the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will be in session as well as our annual meeting, we’re also looking forward to the first-ever UN High-Level Meeting on Road Safety this June 30th and July 1st which we will be attending. Stay tuned for more information on this event too.

Thanks again for your support and know we’re always open to hearing how we can help promote the work you’re doing to achieve Vision Zero.

Present to Key Stakeholders Attending the United Nations General Assembly and Concordia Annual Summit

September in New York City will be a busy month for road safety with our annual conference tentatively planned for September 22nd (stay tuned for more information).

In addition, the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will be held September 13-27 with General Debate starting on September 20th. As a reminder, The United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognized road safety as a prerequisite to healthy lives and well-being as well as making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

And Concordia’s Annual Summit, will be held digitally and live in New York City September 19th-21st. With over a decade of experience bringing together heads of state, leaders of the private and NGO sectors, and new and diversified perspectives to explore tangible solutions to local and global challenges, it will be the largest convening alongside of the UNGA. The 12th Annual Summit will convene the top movers and shakers of today’s world to spark dialogue, promote collaboration, and collectively pave the path toward a more equitable, sustainable future.

Save the week of September 19th and let us know if you’d be interested in participating in a panel held this week near UNGA and Concordia’s Summit in NYC to reach these key stakeholders in road safety.

Together for Safer Roads Launches Direct Vision Cab Standard and Certification in Collaboration with DOT Volpe Center

“Truck drivers need a direct view of everyone using the roads - pedestrians, bicyclists, other drivers - everyone. It’s time for direct vision cab design.”

Did you know that the vast majority of commercial trucks available in the U.S. do NOT provide the driver with a direct vision of everyone around them? This is despite estimates that one-quarter of the more than 500 pedestrian and bicyclist deaths each year involving large trucks traveling at low speeds could be prevented by direct vision cabs.

As part of our work to make direct vision cabs a reality for fleets across the United States, we’re proud to be launching a Direct Vision Cab Standard and Certification program in collaboration with the U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, whose mission is to address the nation’s most pressing and complex transportation challenges. This is only possible with the generous support of the Santos Family Foundation.

Learn more about this lifesaving work we and our members are doing.

TSR Joins the More than 15,000 Stakeholders Calling for Updating Misleading and Dangerous Federal Vehicle Safety Ratings

Early this month, we proudly joined the chorus of concerned road safety experts calling for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take the small step of providing consumers with accurate information on the safety of vehicles that they purchase.

As Streetsblog Chicago noted, pedestrian fatalities were up 54 percent between 2010 and 2020, compared to 13 percent for all other traffic deaths, according to a recent Governors Highway Safety Association report. And during that time, the percentage of fatal crashes involving SUV drivers grew faster than the percentage of deadly collisions involving car drivers, the same report found.

“Larger vehicles are inherently more dangerous to pedestrians,” the GHSA report noted. This is simple physics – the bigger and heavier something is, the harder it’s going to hit.

The design of some larger vehicles also creates blind spots for drivers as our Executive Director points out in this article from National Association of City Transportation Officials:

“From the daily experience of operating some of the largest commercial truck fleets in North America, our members know that vehicle design matters. Case in point: commercial trucks, like increasingly-large passenger vehicles like SUVs, have blind zones. Even the best-trained professional drivers can’t prevent collisions when they can’t see all the road users around them. Combine this with the increasing number of people choosing to walk, ride bikes, and use scooters, and it’s clear that vehicle design needs to safeguard those outside, as well as those inside, a motor vehicle.”

There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster—Who Profits and Who Pays the Price

We can’t thank Jessie Singer, Journalist and Author, enough for participating in a powerful fireside chat last month at our Global Vision Zero Fleet Forum where she discussed that while there are more than 200,000 “accidental” deaths in the United States each year — traffic deaths included — these so-called “accidents” are hardly random. Each is the predictable result of unequal power in every form — physical and systemic.

Check out her fantastic new book, "There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.”*

*Purchasing from our curated list of road safety books will allow us to continue to help keep fleets safe while also helping local communities keep their own roads safe for all users. We are an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. We will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Road Safety in the News

By monitoring the news for road safety coverage, we can proactively keep up with trends. Below are some articles you may find interesting:

Micromobility Operators Expand their Footprint in Small and Midsized Cities - As fleets hit the streets in dozens of smaller U.S. cities, operators try to take a localized approach to address many similar complaints already voiced by larger city residents.
Military Veterans Offer Fleets Driver Applicants with Lower Turnover, Fewer Accidents - Trucking has traditionally provided a soft landing spot for military retirees, and they are fairly sought after because veteran drivers generally have fewer safety violations than civilian drivers and bring a lot soft skills that are mostly unique to military veteran .
Pickups and SUVs are Driving the Pedestrian Death Epidemic - While big vehicles are safer for people on the inside, they’re more deadly for those on the outside. Pedestrian fatalities shot up 54 percent between 2010 and 2020, compared to 13 percent for all other traffic deaths, according to a Governors Highway Safety Association’s report in May. .
Pandemic Sparked ‘Aggressive’ Driving Culture, FMCSA Official Says – During a safety summit, an FMCSA official said that the pandemic sparked an aggressive driving culture that has led to an increase in traffic fatalities.
What Parking Is Costing U.S. Cities - What if the bustle of NYC streets would turn into outdoor seating, breezy urban parks and undisturbed bike and bus lanes? That's the actual contents of a new plan dubbed NYC 25x25, which proposes taking 25% of NYC street space away from cars by 2025.

Member News

Marsh - According to a Marsh and Microsoft study, increased ransomware attacks and global threats are tempering executive confidence in cyber preparedness . . . read more
Ouster - Mov.ai and Ouster are powering the next generation of warehouse automation by helping companies build the next generation of AMRs . . . read more
Populus - Superpedestrian and Helbiz partner with Populus on a USDOT safety initiative. Populus is working with operators and cities to leverage mobility data to reduce crashes and traffic fatalities . . . read more
Republic Services - Republic Services Charitable Foundation awards 10 National Neighborhood Promise® Grants for 2022 . . . read more

Samsara - Samsara announces 2022 Connected Operations award winners. Awards honor fleets, operations, and individuals for achievements in safety, efficiency, performance, sustainability, and innovation . . . read more

UPS - The UPS Foundation is holding its first-ever UPS Impact Summit June 20th. They will explore the rapidly changing intersection of ESG, equity, and economic empowerment . . . read more

Zendrive - Zendrive’s ultra-preferred risk acquisition solution, powered by our Mobility Risk Intelligence platform, allows insurers to offer personalized quotes to safe drivers based on their actual driving behavior . . . read more