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December 13, 2000 10:20 AM, EST

PORTLAND, Ore. — Issues of highway safety, individual freedom and the government’s avowed intention to mandate the use of some forms of safety-related technology on future heavy-duty trucks dominated the discussion during an Dec. 4 forum at the Society of Automotive Engineer’s annual Truck and Bus Conference here.

The chasm between the trucking industry and the federal government’s positions on the issue was clear when two key federal transportation officials reiterated the government’s position that technologies such as onboard recorders and collision-avoidance systems for trucks would significantly improve highway safety and should be mandated.

Other panelists disagreed, one charging that the government’s determination to issue more regulations like the recent hours-of-service proposal was one cause of the national shortage of professional drivers.

The SAE Safety Technology Forum was the first of three during the conference to examine broader transportation issues. The forums were a departure from the group’s traditional focus of discussing narrowly defined engineering issues. Other panels examined diesel emissions and equipment.

For the full story, see the Dec. 11 print edition of Transport Topics. .