Committee Overview
The Committee on Truck & Bus Safety (ACS60) of the National Academies Transportation Research Board (TRB) was founded in 2003. Organizations that were precursors to the committee included a Truck & Bus Safety Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation Safety Management and a Task Force on Truck and Bus Safety (A3B57) that championed the transition from subcommittee to full committee status. Within the TRB committee structure, ACS60 is part of the Safety Section of the System User Group.
Committee Goal
Like other TRB committees, ACS60 consists of professionals committed to advancing their disciplines and improving the North American transportation system. ACS60's goal is to:
- Focus on motor carrier safety in all its aspects; to include research and evaluation in human, roadway, vehicle, operational, and organizational arenas as they relate to motor carrier safety.
Committee Strategic Plan
Updated in March 2020, the strategic plan (PDF, 275K) defines the focus of the TRB ACS60 Truck and Bus Safety Committee for the next several years.
Topics of Interest
Specific truck and bus safety topics of interest to ACS60 include the following: problem assessment and data, regulation, enforcement and compliance, commercial driver health and wellness (as they relate to driving safety), driver performance and behavior (human factors), carrier safety management, heavy vehicle design and technology, and roadway design & operations (as related to heavy vehicles).
ACS60 completed a TRB Circular in May 2007 entitled The Domain of Truck and Bus Safety Research. This Circular summarizes knowledge and information on the above topics and identifies major research and development needs relating to them.
Committee Functions
Major functions of ACS60 include the following:
- Inform members of the truck and bus safety community of current research.
- Stimulate new research and development.
- Synthesize research and develop various reports.
- Review papers submitted to the TRB annual meeting and recommend papers for presentation, publication, and special awards.
- Plan and coordinate technical sessions and workshops at the annual meeting.
- Cosponsor special activities and provide liaison with other related TRB committees.
- Conduct periodic strategic planning and self-evaluation.
- Upon request, serve or nominate others to serve as members of various TRB panels and committees.
- Encourage diverse participation, including students, young professionals, minorities, and professionals from countries outside the U.S.
Deborah Freund ACS60 Paper Award
The Deborah Freund ACS60 Paper Award is awarded each year to one of the papers accepted by the committee and TRB for publication the prior year. The winner is selected by a Paper Award subcommittee which evaluates each paper. The Award is named for a long-term, valuable member of the committee and good friend and colleague who passed away August 2014.
Membership
Members are appointed for a three-year term with partial membership rotation every three years. In addition to its formal membership, ACS60 maintains an active Friends list. Any interested person can become a Friend of the committee and participate in committee meetings and other activities. New members are typically chosen from those who have been active Friends of the committee.
Subcommittees
ACS60 currently has several subcommittees. For more information regarding these, please refer to the Subcommittees page.
Meetings
ACS60 conducts its principal annual meeting as part of the TRB annual meeting in Washington, DC in January of each year. In addition, a mid-year meeting is held in various locations, with the ability to participate via conference call and web meeting. Meeting topics include discussion of committee activities and presentations from members and friends on recent research.
Website
Information available on the ACS60 website includes this committee overview, member roster, friends list, meeting agendas and minutes, and selected presentations from previous meetings.
Committee Chair and Contact Person
Dr. Robert (Bob) Scopatz
Senior Transportation Analyst
VHB, Inc
Phone: (919)334-5624
BScopatz@VHB.com
