New Research Shows Crash Avoidance Systems Could Reduce Truck Accidents

November 4, 2016
6:19 pm

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New Research Shows Crash Avoidance Systems Could Reduce Truck Accidents

Atlanta, 11/04/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/

Many modern vehicles are now equipped with collision avoidance systems that automatically steer a car out of the path of danger — even when the car’s human driver fails to recognize a hazard.

According to a new study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this same technology could also do a lot of good in semi-trucks.

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The NHTSA’s Crash Avoidance System Study

The NHTSA study tested collision avoidance systems in a fleet of semi-trucks over a one-year period. During those 12 months, not a single semi was involved in a rear-end crash.

The maker of the crash avoidance system reported that truck companies that use the crash avoidance system say they experience 87 percent fewer rear-end collisions and 89 percent less costs associated with rear-end crashes. So far, there are about 120,000 crash avoidance systems installed in 267 fleets of trucks. The overall goal of these systems is to bring the rear-end crash rate in semis down to zero percent. It’s a lofty goal, however, the new study demonstrates that the technology works.

Rear-end crashes involving a semi and a typical car can be deadly. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that there are an average 400,000 semi-truck collisions in the United States each year and that about 70,000 of these serious collisions are rear-end crashes. Weighing up to 80,000 pounds, a semi-truck is both heavier and taller than the average car on the road. When these massive vehicles strike the back of a car, they can run right over the top of the vehicle, crushing the car under their weight.

Unfortunately, semi-trucks also have several large blind spots, including one that can extend up to 20 feet in front of the truck’s nose. If a car gets in this blind spot, the truck’s driver might not even realize the car is there.

Improving Semi-truck Safety

Because semi-trucks are so powerful and heavy, they can cause a lot of damage in a crash. This is why lawmakers and regulators are constantly working to find ways to make tractor-trailers safer. For example, the addition of mandatory underride guards on the back of a semi-truck’s trailer aim to prevent standard-size cars from sliding under a truck’s trailer. This safety measure was introduced after years of horrific accidents involving the tops of cars being sheared off by truck trailers in crashes.

Eberstein & Witherite, LLP: Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyers

Are you reeling from injuries and damages caused by a semi-truck crash? You don’t have to go through this alone. Call the Atlanta truck accident lawyers at Eberstein & Witherite, LLP today to receive a free case evaluation. You can reach us at 1-800-TRUCK WRECK (1-800-878-2597).

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Lucy Tiseo
Eberstein & Witherite, LLP
Phone: 800-878-2597
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