The automakers of today are continuously adding new safety measures to their manufactured vehicles. Various systems like automatic emergency brakes, collision warning, stability control, lane departure warning, etc. have been upgraded for protective purposes. But, the unfortunate part is that the trucking industry is slow-going in this regard.
One thing to remember before approaching further with this article is that if you face injury in an accident involving commercial trucks, do not be late to contact a reputed truck accident lawyer operating in your locality or state. Never forget that you have limited time to take strong legal action against any truck company. Protect your rights as fast as possible.
The actions of trucking companies for decreasing the risk of accidents:
The number of deadly truck crashes is increasing each year since 2009. Truck drivers drive for thousands of kilometers. Plus, the shortage of able drivers, small space unable to carry massive freights, tight deadlines, etc. make the truck drivers bound to speed up, drive even when they are fatigued, and exceed the daily hours of operation.
Few companies dealing with commercial trucks have brought up several safety features for helping curb the crash risk that includes technology for preventing the big-sized trucks to drift into another byroad. The features also help commercial trucks stop immediately if there arises a danger. The trucking companies that are adopting these safety features have reported improvement in enabling lowering the accidents.
Currently, the following safety measures have been taken by commercial trucks:
- Warning concerning lane-departure
- Monitoring of blind spot
- Air disc brakes
- Watching forward video
- Controlling smart cruise
- Automatic emergency brake system
- Electronic stability control
The additional safety features:
Many truck companies are positive about installing a camera, hi-tech braking system, radar, blind spot alerts and distance measuring systems. There has also been a development of forward-collision mitigation systems that gives the provision of adaptive cruise control and automatic braking system that are useful for commercial vehicles.
The lane departure and collision avoidance systems let the truck drivers the alerts in terms of tactile, audible and visual. Certain GPS systems sense the stop signs along with sending messages to the drivers at the right time to apply the braking system.
There is another added feature like vehicle-to-vehicle technology. By adopting this technology, the vehicles can notify each other if they get in extremely close proximity to each other.
The problems facing trucking companies:
Around 40% of truck agencies are using advanced safety features. Cost is observed as the main reason for the trucking companies that are stopping them to upgrade. Most of the new features are set in the newly manufactured trucks. It indicates that companies need to purchase new trucks that involve big capital.
The cost of the new trucks varies between $130,000 and $160,000. Few features can be set in the old trucks such as lane-departure warning systems, collision-avoidance warning systems, etc. It costs lesser than buying a whole new truck.
Again, many truck drivers are habituated in driving the old trucks and other vehicles that don’t have these advanced features. Hence, they may feel uncomfortable in plying with the hi-tech trucks. Also, the expert truck drivers may have never met an accident, and thus, they may not believe in the newly adopted features.
Additionally, the trucking companies may focus on short-term profitability than the long-term benefits, and so, they may not pay heed to incorporate the safety features. The drivers working under certain companies may not pressurize the owners to input the advanced features in the truck, and accordingly, the agencies don’t feel the urge to spend money on the important facets.
What you will do to deal with the legal options?
Contact a skilled truck accident lawyer. The noted lawyers can help secure your rights on the roads and take action against the greedy trucking companies that do not take care of their operations whether safe or unsafe. The truck wreck attorneys fight your case and get you the maximum compensation that you deserve. The rights of the accident victims are thus secured. Many law firms offer free consultation and explain all the legal options. No upfront fees are required to pay unless your lawsuit is fought and you get your rightful money.
Greg Baumgartner handles truck accident lawsuits for victims of truck accidents in Texas. He is an expert Texas Truck Accident Lawyer with an exemplary track record.
