City Manager Huang Proposes Amendments to Vehicle Safety Regulations
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
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These changes are sorely needed for state-owned and operated trucks and this regulation change will be a very solid step in the right direction to prevent serious crashes involving these trucks and vulnerable road users.
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In the last ten years, there have been 232 fatal crashes on roads under City and State jurisdiction. Of these, seven of the eight crashes that resulted in the death of a person riding a bicycle involved a truck.
In response to this, City Manager Huang and other local elected officials recently went to Beacon Hill to testify at a MassDOT hearing on regulations implementing amendments to the State’s Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities at the State House in mid-July.
This builds on how Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, and Newton have all enacted truck safety requirements for vendors doing business with their cities. The Cambridge Truck Safety Ordinance, adopted by the City Council in November of 2020, applies to Class 3 or above motor vehicles, trailers, semi-trailers or semi-trailer units, with Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over 10,000 pounds that can travel more than 15 MPH being used by a City vendor under a City Contract worth more than $10,000. These regulations require that eligible vehicles, with some exceptions, be outfitted with side guards, convex mirrors, cross-over mirrors, and safety decals.
Below is an excerpt from the testimony he shared on proposed amendments to vehicle safety regulations that would require vehicles over 10,000 pounds leased or purchased by the state or contracted with the state to be equipped with lateral protective devices, convex mirrors, crossover mirrors, and backup cameras. He testified in favor of the amendments and for the regulations to be as strong as possible and to minimize the number of vehicles that would be exempted.
“The legislature’s passage of An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities in 2022 was an important step forward in making our streets safer for all road users, particularly the most vulnerable users. I am happy to be here today to support MassDOT’s regulatory changes implementing important aspects of this law.
These changes are sorely needed for state-owned and operated trucks and this regulation change will be a very solid step in the right direction to prevent serious crashes involving these trucks and vulnerable road users. Eventually, this should be a national standard for all trucks licensed to drive on our roads, as has been the case in Europe and other countries for more than 20 years.
Research on side guards, conducted by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, showed that - during the five-year period reviewed - nearly half of bicyclists and more than one-quarter of pedestrians killed by a large truck first impacted the side of the truck. And, a UK study of trucks with sideguard devices showed a 61 percent reduction in fatal crashes with cyclists.
According to federal data, large trucks make up 4% of all registered vehicles. Yet despite truck drivers being among the most well-trained drivers, trucks are involved in 10% of pedestrian and bike fatalities. In dense urban areas, these statistics are even higher. In the past ten years, we have lost seven cyclist- trucks were involved in every one of these crashes. This is part of a greater story about rising crashes and fatalities involving vulnerable road users in the state and nationally.
As you all may be aware, this reality has recently hit us close to home once again in Cambridge where tragically, within a span of only a few weeks, two people riding bikes were killed in crashes with trucks. In both instances, the cyclists were traveling in the same direction as the trucks and were killed when the trucks turned right. While both these crashes are still under investigation, it is likely that sideguards and crossover mirrors on the trucks could have helped prevent these tragedies completely, or avoided the fatal outcomes. The cost of these tragedies is far too great – for those losing their lives and their families and for our communities.
These regulations should be as strong as possible, and I would ask you to adopt them as drafted without significant changes. Specifically, that section 4.10(7), ‘continue to minimize the number of vehicles that will be exempted from these regulations.’ Further, I would strongly encourage you to apply these regulations to all contracts funded under Chapter 90. It is essential that as many trucks as possible on our roads are equipped with this important safety equipment. The Commonwealth is in a unique position to ensure these safety improvements improve the lives of vulnerable road users across the State. I would also ask that appropriate resources be allocated to ensure enforcement of the regulations is as robust as possible.
We hope that the adoption of these regulations can be the first step in a coordinated effort towards universal requirements for sideguards and other safety equipment. We look forward to working together to ensure everyone is safe on our streets, and we can all get where we are going safely.
Thank you for listening today and helping to create safer streets. While trucks may be an unavoidable part of urban life, we must find ways to reduce their all too frequent deadly impact.”
Cambridge will continue pushing for change by teaming up with other cities, state agencies, our elected officials, and both local and national safety advocates, aiming to achieve significant changes in federal truck safety regulations.
