The National Transportation Safety Board is holding the second in a series of hearings on truck safety next week in Nashville, TN.

The three-day hearing, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, will highlight new technologies for commercial vehicles. Technologies to be examined include electronic braking systems, collision avoidance radar with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning systems, and systems that allow the driver to receive communications, track fuel mileage and check systems diagnostics.
This is the second in a series of hearings focused on improving truck and bus safety in America. Members of the NTSB will hear testimony from representatives of the U.S. government, the truck and bus industry, technology manufacturers, public advocacy, and foreign governments that have already implemented some of the advanced technology.
"Today trucks on the road are bigger and more powerful than ever before," says Jim Hall, NTSB chairman. "If we can use technology to make a bigger truck, we can also use it to make a safer truck."
In April, the board held a hearing to examine the conditions and causes of truck- and bus-related crashes, as well as federal, state and industry oversight of the industry. During that hearing, Julie Cirillo, program manager of the Office of Motor Carriers and Highway Safety, said her agency's main emphasis would be on enforcement. Industry representatives also testified that the Commercial Drivers License program let unqualified drivers slip through the cracks.
The hearing will be held at the Sheraton Downtown, 623 Union St., Nashville, TN. The hearing is open to the public, and no registration is required. For hotel reservations, call (615) 259-2000. For more information, visit http://www.ntsb.gov.