NTSB Urges Changes to Cargo Tankers

The National Transportation Safety Board told federal regulators they can reduce the number of cargo tanker rollovers if  they mandated roll stability technology and improved cargo tank design.

“The NTSB concludes that although a rollover prevention program will not eliminate all rollovers due to driver errors, it can be effective for identifying ways for cargo tank motor vehicle drivers and management to work collaboratively to prevent rollover accidents,” the board wrote in a Sept. 2 letter to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Cargo tank trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating higher than 10,000 pounds should be required to be retrofitted with stability control systems, NTSB said.

NTSB voted on the recommendations at a meeting in July.