Many recent studies have shown that certain types of autonomous technology can help to reduce the overall rate of car crashes. According to a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), those same safety technologies can also work to reduce the overall rate of large truck accidents. In particular, forward-collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking (AEC) systems can help to lower the overall rate of big rig accidents significantly. As you may know, large trucks typically weigh 20-30 times as much as a car. As such, truck accidents are often debilitating and fatal for passenger car occupants.
According to the IIHS, if forward-collision warning systems and automatic emergency braking systems became standard in 18-wheelers, we could see a reduction in truck collisions by more than one third.
Technology Can Reduce Crashes by 40% or More
The IIHS study reports that forward-collision warning and AEB systems, when used together in large trucks, reduce the total rate of big rig rear-end collisions by more than 40%. Even if a large truck only has one type of technology, the IIHS found that it could still reduce the number of accidents by anywhere from 12% to 22%.
The study looked at trucks weighing 33,000 pounds or more and analyzed results from more than 60 large trucks.
What You Should Know About Filing a Truck Accident Claim
Many different parties can be responsible for a trucking crash. To be sure, many truck collisions happen because of the truck driver’s negligence. For example, trucking accidents happen much too often because of drowsy driving, as I mentioned above. The FMCSA rules designed to require truckers to take rest and sleep breaks were put in place to reduce the rate of drowsy driving accidents. Yet drowsy driving is not the only reason that truckers can be at fault for a crash. For instance, any kind of distracted driving, whether it is texting or even eating, can lead to a collision.
Beyond truck driver negligence, many other parties may also be liable, such as the owner of the truck, the trucking company owner, the mechanic who serviced the truck most recently, or even the company that loaded the truck. In some cases, a truck accident might also result from a product defect. As such, you should always work with an Ohio truck accident lawyer to determine who may be at fault for your injuries and to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties.
Call Me for Help with Your Truck Accident Lawsuit
Truck crashes are often life-threatening and deadly. Whether a drowsy or distracted truck driver caused the trucking collision in which you got hurt, or the truck was poorly maintained by the truck owner, I want to do everything possible to get you the financial compensation you deserve while holding the at-fault parties accountable for their mistakes. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Do not hesitate to call my firm at 877.944.4373 to learn more about how I can help with a truck accident claim.
