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Center Identification Number:  77808   

Project Title:  Evaluation of Electronic Data Recorder for Incident Investigation, Driver Performance and Vehicle Maintenance    

Co-Principal Investigators:

Deborah Sapper
Senior Research Associate
Phone: (813) 974-1446
E-mail: sapper@cutr.usf.edu

Henry Cusack
Senior Research Associate
Phone: (813) 974-7834
E-mail: cusack@cutr.usf.edu

Institution:                             

Center for Urban Transportation Research
University of South Florida
Fax: 813-974-5168

 External Project Contact:     

Robert Westbrook
Florida Department of Transportation
Office of Public Transportation Transit Planning Program
(850) 414-4533
 

I.  Project Objective/Problem Statement

Event Data Recorders have been used in the transportation industry for ground transportation for over a decade. Event Data Recorders can record pre-crash vehicle dynamics and system status, driver inputs, vehicle crash signature, restraint usage/ deployment status, and post-crash data. Event Data Recorders are starting to make a major impact on highway safety by assisting in real-time data collection to better define the auto safety problem, aiding in law enforcement, and providing data that enables a better understanding of the specific aspects of a crash. These units can be programmed automatically to store all data from 30 seconds prior to the incident, until the vehicle comes to rest, or for 15 seconds after the incident. This data is comprised of vehicle speed, engine speed, lateral and longitudinal accelerations, (braking /accelerating / swerving), operation of vehicle equipment / signals, etc. In 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board made a recommendation to the Federal Transit Administration to require that new or rehabilitated vehicles funded by Federal Transit Administration grants be equipped with event data recorders that meet the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standard 1482.1. Since 2002, Federal Transit Administration has worked closely with heavy and light rail transit agencies around the Nation to encourage the deployment of Event Data Recorders. The Federal Transit Administration is projecting that by 2012; more than 50 percent of the Nation's rail transit fleet will be equipped with Event Data Recorders. Event Data Recorders have been installed in light vehicles and in an estimated 40 million passenger vehicles in 2004. Both the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers have released standards or recommended practices for Event Data Recorders. In 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Event Data Recorders voluntarily installed in light vehicles. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program has developed several recommendations for enhancement of these devices to meet the specific needs of highway crash data analysis. It is evident that research falls short of evaluating the benefits of Event Data Recorders on transit buses. In Florida, all new small buses procured under the Florida Vehicle Procurement Program are equipped with this unit and transit agencies across the country are starting to install Event Data Recorders in their vehicles. The data recorded from the Event Data Recorders are not being used by transit agencies due to lack of procedures, guidelines and research to help managers and supervisors easily interpret the data.

II.  Objectives/Tasks

The objective of the research project will be to evaluate the benefits Event Data Recorders provide to transit agencies in threes areas: incident investigation, driver performance, and vehicle maintenance. The specific objectives of this research will be to:

• Collect and analyze data on different Event Data Recorders units.
• Evaluate all 13 data components specified under Florida Vehicle Procurement Program to determine what data components are appropriate for incident investigation, driver performance, and vehicle maintenance.
• Evaluate other optional data components available on Event Data Recorder units.
• Analyze and identify data components and trends for improving safety and driver performance.
• Develop procedures and guidelines on downloading and basic use of the data from Event Data Recorders that could be easily interpreted and used by the agencies for incident investigation, driver performance, and vehicle maintenance.

Task 1: Project Management

Ongoing project review of drafts reports, tech memos, and final report.. 

Task 2: Literature Review

The investigators will review and summarize previous standards, documents, and studies that address the use of Event Data Recorders in transportation including light rail, passenger vehicles, and transit buses. This review will include, but not be limited to: Society of Automotive Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standards and practices for Event Data Recorders; the 2004 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Event Data Recorders voluntarily installed in light vehicles; and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program recommendations for enhancement of Event Data Recorders to meet the specific needs of highway crash data analysis.

Task 3: Identify Transit Agencies and Collect Data

Transit agencies with Event Data Recorders on their buses will be identified to participate in the study and their data will be collected.

Task 4: Evaluate and Analyze EDR Units and Data Components

The investigators will collect and review data capabilities from different Event Data Recorders units available to transit agencies and compare them to the current Event Data Recorders being used by Florida Vehicle Procurement Program. The investigators will then evaluate the 13 data components specified under Florida Vehicle Procurement Program to determine what data components are most appropriate for incident investigation, vehicle maintenance, and review of driver performance.

Task 5: Analyze Data and Identify Data Sets

Using the finding from Task 4 the investigators will analyze the data and identify data sets that can be used in incident investigation, driver performance evaluation and in vehicle maintenance.

Task 6: Develop Procedures and Guidelines

This task will develop incident investigation, driver performance evaluation, and vehicle maintenance procedures and guidelines for downloading and using the data from the Event Data Recorders that could be easily interpreted and used by bus transit agencies based on their needs.

Task 7: Final Report

The final task of the research will summarize the results of the previous tasks in order to develop a report on the “Evaluation of Electronic Data Recorder for Incident Investigation, Driver Performance, and Vehicle Maintenance.” The report will be designed in a clear, concise summary format that will facilitate easy reading and application by public transit provider professionals. It is understood that travel by Center for Urban Transportation Research within the budget of the project, will be necessary for collecting information.

III. Deliverables

Deliverables for this project will include the following:

Quarterly Progress Reports - Quarterly progress reports will be provided to the Florida Department of Transportation Project Manager and the Research Office. Reports will include the following sections: 1. Contract number, work order number, and title 2. Work done during the quarter 3. Work to be done in the following quarter 4. Requested modifications to scope, budget, or schedule, as appropriate 5. An updated project progress schedule

Technical Memorandum 1 – Technical Memorandum 1 will summarize the findings of the first three tasks: the literature review; identify transit agencies and collect data, and evaluate and analyze EDR units and data components.

Draft Final Report

The draft final report will be edited for grammar, clarity, organization, and readability prior to submission to the Department for technical approval. The editor providing the review will sign a cover sheet attesting to such review prior to submission. It is expected that a well-written, high-quality report will be submitted. It is understood that reports failing to meet these requirements will summarily be rejected. The only changes allowable between the final draft and the final report will be those changes requested by the Project Manager and the Research Center.

Final Report

Final Report – Eight (8) copies of the final report in MS Word on CD and a bound original will be delivered, no later than the end date of the RPWO, to The Florida Department of Transportation Research Center, MS 30 605 Suwannee Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450 All Final Reports shall contain: • A cover page that identifies the project title and contract number, the contractor’s name and contact information, the author’s name, the month and date of publication • Disclaimer language, which alone shall be on the first page within the report and include the following: (1) The opinions, findings and conclusions express in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the State of Florida Department of Transportation, or the U.S. Department of Transportation. (2) Prepared in cooperation with the State of Florida Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation. • A completed Technical Report Documentation form #F.1700.7, immediately following the disclaimer page.

NOTE: All written deliverables will be submitted in electronic format to the Project Manager and the Research Center for processing. Electronic reports will be e-mailed to Sandra Bell at sandra.bell@dot.state.fl.us. Hard copies will be sent to the following address: Sandra Bell, Research Contracts Administrator Florida Department of Transportation 605 Suwannee Street, MS 30 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0450

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IV.  Project Schedule

V.  Project Budget

Notes: This budget does not reflect any federal participation. The project team will include faculty, students, and secretarial and other support staff who will work directly on the project and whose costs are reflected in the direct costs of the project as listed above. Budget requests includes salaries for clerical and administrative staff, postage, telephone calls, office supplies, general purpose software, subscriptions, and/or memberships.

VI. Equipment

No equipment is envisioned to be purchased under this project.

VII. Travel

On-site visits to collect data from transit agency operations and vehicle maintenance personnel will occur at up to 6 transit agencies in the state of Florida. Travel will also be necessary for project management meetings in Tallahassee and Tampa. Any out-of-state travel that is found to be beneficial to the project will be authorized in advance by the Florida Department of Transportation project manager. Specific details for the project trips (i.e., destinations and travelers) have not been finalized. Those determinations will be made upon the substantial completion of the literature review. Prior to making any trips, the Principal Investigators will contact the Florida Department of Transportation Project Manager to provide details on the researchers traveling and their destinations. Pre-approvals will be provided through email correspondence. In the event all of the trips are not necessary and/or some of the money budgeted for travel is not expended, such surplus will be reallocated to salaries and benefits with the approval of the Florida Department of Transportation Research Center.

VIII. Student Involvement

This research project will utilize a graduate student to help review and analyze Event Data Recorders unit capabilities.

National Center for Transit Research · at the Center For Urban Transportation Research · University of South Florida · 4202 E. Fowler Ave., CUT100 · Tampa, FL 33620-5375 · (813) 974-3120 · (813) 974-5168 · www.nctr.usf.edu · Comments: webmaster@cutr.eng.usf.edu