ARLINGTON, VA – Want safer trucks? Switch to electronic driver logs (ELD). ELD-equipped trucks had a 11.7-percent lower crash rate and a 5.1-percent  lower preventable crash rate, according to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) test.

They also had a 53-percent lower rate for hours-of-service driving violations, and a 49-percent lower rate for non-driving violations.

“The results show a clear safety benefit, in terms of crash and HOS violation reductions, for trucks equipped with Electronic Hours-of-Service Recorders,” the agency stated.

But the agency warns that the study looked at Class 7 and 8 trucks from 11 carriers and is skewed toward larger, for-hire fleets and may not represent the entire industry.

The study will be posted Monday on the docket where all of the agency’s electronic logging material is kept, including the proposed rule that will mandate near-universal use of electronic logs.

The docket remains open for comments until May 27, but the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CSVA), representing state police and other enforcement interests, has asked the agency for a one-month extension.

“This is a complex and significant rulemaking,” said CVSA Executive Director Stephen Keppler.

CVSA needs more time to understand the technology options in the proposal and states need more time to evaluate its impact in the field, Keppler said.