"In the United States, there is a big truck wreck every 15 minutes that results in serious injury or death. Unfortunately, truck manufacturers and trucking companies have the same myopic mentality that car manufacturers have had for decades - opposing new safety technology claiming the cost will damage customer sales. Any new safety design or equipment that reduces truck wrecks is a win for everybody," stated well-known Houston truck accident attorney Tim Riley. "The most horrific truck wrecks are rear-ended when the truck rear-ends a car and other vehicles. It is estimated that 2 out of 5 rear-end truck crashes could be avoided if all large trucks had forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking systems installed. The costs of large truck accidents in this country are well over $100 billion per year. And large truck collisions are responsible for more than 4,000 fatalities per year."
How Effective Is A Collision Avoidance System?
According to The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries, and property damage in vehicle accidents, these avoidance systems are effective. Studies and accurate world tests have delivered double-digit percentage reductions in severe injuries and deaths.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) has also published studies that clearly illustrate the effectiveness of collision avoidance systems combined with automatic braking systems. These two integrated systems delivered a 56% reduction in accident rates with injuries.
Mr. Riley has cited a well-established historical fact that car manufacturers have fought against safety improvements that would save lives for decades. Some of the most prominent safety devices or enhancements eventually mandated by law are seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, anti-lock brakes, and safety glass. Today the political fight is over vehicle emissions, driver monitoring systems, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking, active steering, automatic headlights, legal immunity from responsibility for automated (driverless) vehicle crashes, etc.
Along with truck driver resistance, the trucking industry has a similar history of opposition to safety improvements, but it is not well known. One truck manufacturer, Freightliner, has been offering steering wheel airbags and roll-over protection technology as options since 2007. But the old, short-term mentality is in place, and these options have been purchased by fewer than 5% of its buyers. However, the trucking companies are beginning to recognize the cost savings from new safety technology and improved driver training to utilize these safety devices. The cost savings are significant over the long term and include reduced insurance premiums, reduced damage costs for the truck accidents that occur, reduced injuries and fatalities, and a reduced number of personal injury truck lawsuits.
New Safety Technology For The Trucking Industry
- Collision Warning Systems warn a driver if a situation is potentially dangerous
- Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) automatically apply to brake if a collision is imminent
- Auto Braking Systems (ABS) and Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) that prevent wheel locking, skidding, and loss of control
- Visibility Improvements that reduce the number of blind spots with mirrors and cameras
- Stability Control Systems that help to prevent rollovers due to skidding or center of gravity movement
- Tire Safety systems that detect under-inflation and help with water on the road
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which changes truck speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead
- Lane Departure Systems that warns the driver if the truck strays out of a marked lane without the turn indicator being used
- Fatigue Detection Systems that warn drivers with an alarm if drowsiness or fatigue is detected
"Sometimes, I just have to shake my head and look to the sky. I don't understand why trucking company executives will not make the common-sense decision to demand the latest safety technology for their large trucks. The trucking companies will save money by avoiding personal injury lawsuits, financial repercussions, and the emotional toll of fatalities and injuries. The cost of the technology would be less than 10% of the cost of the truck and could prevent half of the bad truck accidents that result in injury or death. Until that happens, I will continue to put truck company executives on the stand and ask the question the jury and others want to hear. 'Why did you not buy the safety equipment that would help prevent truck driver errors and truck wrecks?'" commented Mr. Riley.
Tim Riley has 30+ years as a personal injury attorney and has represented numerous victims in truck accident lawsuits. He presents reckless, careless, and negligent behavior that has damaged or destroyed the lives of innocent people. His legal representation forces those responsible to face a jury and pay for the medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering of the victims. "That is my job, to help the victims and families repair their lives and move forward," stated Mr. Riley.
