Each year, passenger car manufacturers release new types of safety features and technology designed to keep us safe behind the wheel. Already, we have seen some of this technology helping to prevent car collisions in Miami and across Florida. Now, the federal government and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are taking a look at what technologies could help prevent truck accidents in Miami and across the country. Since studies have shown that up to 90% of traffic crashes are caused by driver error, experts feel that these types of technology could help prevent truck accidents:
1) Automatic emergency braking. This is a technology available already on many higher-end passenger vehicles and it has already helped prevent many car collisions. Automatic emergency braking uses cameras and radar to detect when a collision is imminent and computer algorithms calculate the chance of a crash in order to apply the brakes in time to prevent an accident.
2) Electronic stability control (ESC). In 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed a regulation which would make ESC standard on buses and trucks. According to NHTSA’s research, requiring all buses and trucks to have ESC could help prevent 14% of loss-of-control accidents and 56% of truck rollovers. That could mean preventing 60 fatalities annually.
3) Forward-collision warning systems. These systems use cameras and radars to warn a truck driver when he or she is approaching too close to another vehicle or stationary object. A 2009 study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration concluded that 8,597-18,013 rear-end accidents could have prevented in the years 2001-2005 if these systems were standard in all trucks.
4) Side-view assist. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), up to 79 fatal car accidents and up to a total of 39 000 traffic accidents could be averted or affected if all trucks had this technology.
5) Lane-departure warning systems. These systems warn drivers when they drift off the road or into other lanes. They can be effective in preventing fatigue-related traffic accidents in Miami and across the nation. According to the IIHS, up to 10 000 truck accidents could be averted or affected if this technology were standard for trucks.
While there is ample evidence that these technologies could help prevent accidents, getting regulations passed is challenging. The technologies would cost the trucking industry additional money, and would require many trucks to be serviced to meet the new regulations. These facts have some in the industry arguing that these technologies are not needed.
If you have been injured in a traffic accident and are looking for a truck accident attorney in Miami or South Florida, the Flaxman Law Group law firm is a full-service law firm with decades of experience helping South Florida accident victims. The legal team at the Flaxman Law group fights aggressively on behalf of client rights and advocates strongly on behalf of injury victims. Your initial consultation with the Flaxman Law Group is free of charge and comes with no obligation.