FMCSA to Study the Effectiveness of Warning Triangles in Preventing Crashes

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced an important new initiative to investigate the effectiveness of warning triangles placed near disabled commercial vehicles in reducing crashes. This study aims to determine whether these warning devices significantly impact safety and driver behavior in the presence of parked or disabled commercial motor vehicles (PDCMVs).

The FMCSA is proposing an experimental study that will involve data collection to evaluate the influence of warning devices on crash-related aspects of human performance. The agency is particularly interested in understanding how these devices work, whether they enhance safety and to what extent they contribute to preventing accidents.

Interest in the requirements for warning devices on PDCMVs has surged in recent years, driven by several factors. Advances in automated driving system (ADS) technology have raised significant questions about how these systems comply with existing warning device safety standards that reference or require a human driver. Additionally, the emergence of alternative warning devices developed by the industry, which aim to enhance driver safety during their deployment, has led to numerous requests for exemption from traditional safety regulations.

The FMCSA emphasizes that the decision to study the efficacy of these warning devices stems from various concerns, including the safety of drivers tasked with placing warning triangles, the availability of new technologies, and the advent of modern research tools that can more accurately assess whether these triangles influence driver behavior.

This study announcement follows the FMCSA’s recent denial of an exemption request from driverless trucking companies Waymo and Aurora. The agency noted that placing warning triangles is “not feasible for autonomous CMVs without a human on board,” highlighting the ongoing challenges in ensuring safety in the evolving landscape of transportation technology.

Once the Notice is published in the Federal Register, the FMCSA will welcome public comments on any aspect of the proposed study. This initiative reflects the agency’s commitment to enhancing safety on our roads and ensuring that the measures in place truly serve their intended purpose. As the study unfolds, it may lead to important insights into the effectiveness of warning devices and their role in preventing crashes.