New Technology Aims to Improve Truck Safety

Truck accidents are all too common in the U.S. They account for almost 4,000 crashes each year, injuring an excess of 100,000 people. Thirteen percent of all traffic fatalities involve commercial trucks.

New technology may be able to reduce these numbers and make everyone on the road a little bit safer. During a recent webinar called “Truck Safety in the New Age of Technology,” experts discussed truck technology, including:

• Electronic stability control: Designed to reduce rollovers by using automatic computer-controlled braking.
• Active brake assist (ABS): ABS can automatically begin to apply the brakes to avoid a collision.
• Forward collision warnings: Reduces accidents and injuries by scanning the road ahead. If an obstruction is detected, the ABS will either prepare the truck for a hard break or automatically apply the brakes.
• Platooning: Forming a virtual “road train” by operating trucks on a highway in close proximity, allowing them to communicate with each other wirelessly.
• Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication (V2V): Trucks can communicate with each other wirelessly, transmitting basic safety information to facilitate warnings to drivers concerning impending crashes.
• Autonomous vehicles: Trucks may one day be able to drive themselves.

While these systems are not intended to replace the driver, the assistance they offer can be lifesaving and reduce the amount of injuries and deaths caused by trucking accidents. Within the next 10 years, these technologies are expected to show up in more vehicles. Self-driving trucks are projected to include 360-degree awareness so that the vehicle’s control system can see all the way around the vehicle, putting an end to dangerous blind spots.

Trusted Legal Counsel for Truck Accident Victims

Even with technology improving safety standards, truck accidents can only be mitigated, not eliminated. If you have suffered an injury in accident involving a commercial truck, you may be entitled to compensatory damages. Time is limited for filing personal injury claims, so call Strong Law, P.C. as soon as possible to begin a thorough investigation of your case.

For a free case evaluation with our Springfield truck accident lawyers, please call us at (417) 887-4300.