GOOGLE SCREENED
Recently, The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, also known as The Trucking Alliance, submitted a statement to a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Highways and Transit hearing, which aimed to help reduce the number of large truck accident injuries and fatalities. According to The Alliance, in 2017, there were over 415,000 large truck crashes in this country, killing 600 drivers and 4,761 others.
President of The Alliance Speaks Out
The president of The Alliance stated that these numbers should alarm all trucking companies. He went on to say that there are too many crashes, and one way to combat this is for employers to lend more support to progressive safety reforms. Even though there are trucking industry-specific bills before the House Committee, he feels that they are designed to benefit special interest groups while sacrificing public safety.
He also pointed out that electronic logging devices (ELDs) help cut down on truck accidents, but some industry members want to be exempt from using them. He added that all truck drivers should be at least 21 years of age to operate interstate commercial trucks because these larger vehicles require drivers with more maturity, skills, and experience. The statement also emphasized that large trucks should not drive over 65 mph, since speeding accounted for about 27 percent of motor vehicle accident fatalities in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Collision Mitigation Systems
The importance of collision mitigation systems was also mentioned in the statement. These newer technologies have been endorsed by AAA, and were shown to reduce fatalities and injuries. One feature discussed was air disc brakes, which appear safer than drum brakes seen on many trucks. Another feature was lane departure warning systems, which identifies when the truck drifts from its lane and warns the driver with alerts and sounds.
Automatic emergency braking systems were also discussed because they discern if the vehicle is at risk of hitting the one in front of it and can apply the brakes automatically. Video-based onboard safety monitoring is useful because it uses video sensors and cameras inside the trucks. Even newer technologies, such as adaptive cruise controls, forward collision warnings, speed limiters, roll stability control, and others were also endorsed.
A New Partnership
The Trucking Alliance has also teamed up with Lytx, an analytics and technology company that offers safety solutions for the trucking industry. They offer various safety products, including telematics, which records driver data. This information can pinpoint risky driving events and can be incorporated in company safety programs. Lytx’s vice president has joined The Alliance’s Advisory Group and will work with other industry professionals to help The Alliance with policy and technology recommendations.
Our Virginia Beach Truck Accident Lawyers Fight for Truck Accident Victims
Large truck accidents can be devastating. If you were involved in a truck accident, contact a Virginia Beach truck accident lawyer right away. At East Coast Trial Lawyers, we will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve. For a free consultation, complete an online form or call us at 757-352-2237 today. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we serve clients throughout Chesapeake, Eastern Shores, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.
