2019 ELD Mandate Safety Review
When the electronic logging mandate was passed and implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the goal was safety. The FMCSA stated that the use of electronic logging devices would make truck driving a safer profession. Now that ELDs have been in use for more than a year, it is time to see some data supporting those safety goals. As it turns out, the technology may actually increase poor driving behavior including speeding, which leads to unsafe driving. Find out more from this latest study.
Results of Transportation Study
According to the transportation study titled “Did the Electronic Logging Device Mandate Reduce Accidents?” published in January 2019 from Northeastern University, ELDs did accomplish one goal. Truck drivers were actually active in using electronic logging devices to record hours of service. This also means fewer drivers were cheating or changing their logging records to meet their hours, which is a major result from ELDs.
When it comes to making truck drivers safer, ELDs did make some difference. Among large trucking fleets there was a decrease in the number of accidents. However, smaller fleets either remained the same or actually had an increase in trucking accidents. The issue for smaller trucking companies is poor driver behaviors including speeding. For example, owner operators are one of the highest offenders of violations:
- Poor driver behavior increased by approximately 33 percent
- Speeding increased by 31 percent
The authors of the study speculate that these driving behaviors occur because drivers are in a rush to meet their hours of service. That makes sense from the truck driver’s perspective. Unfortunately, speeding and other unsafe driver behaviors are putting these drivers’ safety at risk. This is the opposite of what should happen as a result of the ELD mandate.
Protect Your Drivers
To help improve your fleet’s performance with better driver behaviors, consider ProClip ELD device mounts. We help your drivers keep their hands and eyes on the prize while staying safe behind the wheel. With our hand-tooled high-quality devices made in Sweden with the best materials, you know you are choosing a durable and well-made mount. Shop for your ProClip custom solutions for your trucking fleet and start improving your fleet’s performance this year.
