Each year in Pennsylvania, many people are killed or seriously injured in collisions with large trucks. The disparity in the weight and size of commercial trucks compared to passenger vehicles leads to much stronger collision forces when accidents happen. Large trucks take a much greater distance to come to a stop than passenger vehicles and are sometimes unable to stop in time to avoid accidents. Safety technology is now available that could greatly reduce the number of injury and fatality accidents and mitigate the damage when accidents do occur.
Safety technology in large trucks
While most passenger vehicles will offer safety technology as standard equipment by 2022, this technology is still optional for large trucks. To get safety technology installed in commercial trucks, trucking companies must specify that they want the technology at the time that they order new trucks. Safety systems, including automatic emergency braking and other advanced warning systems, have been shown to reduce the number of accidents. However, more trucking companies need to adopt this technology to result in a substantial decline in the number of deaths and injuries.
Drop-in accidents, injuries, and deaths from safety technology
J.B. Hunt, a trucking company based in Arkansas, has automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning technology installed in 98% of its fleet. According to the company’s vice president for safety and security, the company has seen a 50% drop in the number of rear-end collisions and a reduction in the severity of truck accidents since installing this technology. Schneider National reports similar results with a 68% decline in rear-end collisions and a 95% reduction in the severity of accidents. The effectiveness of this technology should lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to mandate its inclusion as a standard feature in all-new trucks.
Trucking accidents can be very serious and cause fatalities and catastrophic injuries, so mandating safety technology in large trucks could save lives. People who suffer serious injuries in collisions caused by commercial trucks may want to consult with experienced truck accident attorneys. Attorneys might help the victims recover compensation for their losses.
