Improving Safety for Truckers in Central Florida

A technology program run by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is harnessing real-time data to improve road safety for workers and drivers in work zones on the state’s roadways. The yearlong pilot, due to finish in June this year, is just one of a wide range of statewide schemes designed to improve road safety for all users including truckers.

 

While Apopka is ideally situated for businesses to access a number of important transportation corridors in Central Florida, this also means the surrounding roads are very busy with commercial vehicles. With high numbers of traffic collisions and injuries involving trucks, the FDOT program plans to monitor how trucking apps can successfully alert drivers to hazards.  As well helping truckers to deal with dangers on the road, making improvements to working conditions could ensure they remain safe off road too.

According to statistics from Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), there were 178 fatal or incapacitating injuries involving the drivers and passengers of medium to heavy trucks in 2021. The injuries from a trucking crash can be devastating but, as well as seeking immediate medical help where necessary, collecting evidence from the scene is also important.  Collisions can occur for a number of reasons and while the cause of a recent accident in Brevard County is currently unknown, it is still under investigation. 

 

Whether a trucking accident is caused by poor weather or reckless driving, gathering as much information from the crash can help to minimize the risk of future collisions and ensure anyone injured receives the long-term support that they need.

Although the FDOT technology pilot program is specifically aimed at protecting workers on the roads, it will monitor other navigation tools and applications that are already used to improve safety for truck drivers.  One transportation provider has implemented new data-driven technology for truckers that, over a number of years, has been shown to reduce the rate of incidents. By combining statistics taken from dash cams with analysis from trainers,  poor driving behavior can be corrected before it causes an accident to occur. 

While technology can help reduce the risk of accidents on the road, sufficient off road rest times are also essential for overall safer driving.  It is estimated that 18,000 trucks drive the I-4 between Tampa and Orlando every day, but there is a shortage of parking in Orlando and 98% of truckers have difficulties finding a safe spot to stop. In response, the FDOT has prioritized the expansion of rest stops in Orlando, and $15 million awarded by USDOT last month will be used to create an 1-4 truck stop offering 120 more spots for drivers.

 

Central Florida is home to important transportation links and large numbers of trucks pass through every day. To keep truckers and other users safe, technology is being employed to help minimizing the risk of accidents on the road while more parking spots reduces the dangers off road.