New studies have revealed that equipping commercial trucks with new video-based safety technologies can possibly prevent 63,000 truck related accidents each year. The 15 month study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that fatal truck accidents increased by 4% between 2014 and 2015.
The study examined the potential safety benefits and costs associated with installing four advanced safety technologies in large trucks. The new advances include lane departure warning systems, automatic emergency braking, air disc brakes, and video-based onboard safety monitoring systems.
According to Jake Nelson, the executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, “There’s no question that truck safety technology saves lives. This new research shows that the benefits of adding many of these technologies to trucks clearly outweigh the cost.” AAA analysts came to the conclusion that:
- Lane departure warning systems can prevent about 6,372 crashes, 1,342 injuries, & 115 deaths each year.
- Video-based onboard safety monitoring systems can possibly prevent up to 63,000 crashes, 17,733 injuries, & 293 deaths each year.
- Automatic emergency braking can be used to prevent 5,294 crashes, 2,753 injuries, & 55 deaths each year.
- Air disc brakes can prevent up to 2,411 crashes, 1,447 injuries, and 37 deaths each year.
While the study confirms that advanced technologies can be used to significantly decrease accidents and fatalities, acceptance of these new technologies has been slow. As Nelson states, “we know that the smaller owner-operators are among the last to deploy these technologies due to the cost. Some of the larger fleets are the ones who are advancing first in that direction.”
Do you have more questions about advanced technology for commercial trucks? Or, maybe you have questions regarding truck accidents? We can help with both. At Syfrett, Dykes & Furr, we have handled thousands of cases and we’re ready to assist with your legal needs.
Contact our Panama City team of truck accident attorneys to get started on your free case evaluation today.