New-to-market and emerging roadside inspection technologies designed to improve the safety performance of commercial buses and trucks were featured at a Commercial Motor Vehicle Technology Showcase put on by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Held at FMCSA's Roadside Technology Corridor on Interstate 81 in Greene County, Tenn., the showcase provided a first-hand look at how state-of-the-art technology better equips state law enforcement as they conduct commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety inspections.

FMCSA, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Safety, Tennessee Department of Transportation, the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, organized the showcase.

"FMCSA is committed to strengthening commercial vehicle safety through the use of new technology," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "By providing a platform to test, evaluate and refine new enforcement technologies, we are able to clearly understand their benefits and encourage deployment on the state level."

In a real world setting, the showcase demonstrated various new safety technologies including:

• Wireless Roadside Inspection (WRI): Using a fixed site or mobile vehicle, the WRI is designed to conduct up to 25 times more vehicle inspections a year than the current, in-person inspection process. In real time, an inspector can obtain driver and carrier identity, vehicle condition and hours-of-service violations while the vehicle is traveling at highway speed.

• Smart Infrared Inspection System (SIRIS): SIRIS detects brake, wheel and tire problems by comparing infrared thermal images of wheels as the vehicle enters a weigh station. Once this technology is complete, it will use software to read thermal images and alert law enforcement if an inspection is needed.

• Performance-Based Brake Tester (PBBT): PBBT technology provides a safe, accurate and objective assessment of a vehicle's brake force and overall performance.

• Technology In Motion Vehicle (TMV): The TMV demonstration vehicle, equipped with electronic on-board recorders, raises stakeholder awareness and increases adoption of the featured technologies.

To learn more about the Commercial Motor Vehicle Technology Showcase, click here.