Technology

How the Collision Warning Technology Prevents Truck Accidents

Collision Warning TechnologyTexas roadways have become infamous for truck accidents as truck drivers often get distracted for being sleepy and tired and end up colliding with passenger cars. Such incidents have been happening for quite some time, and now it's the time for them to stop.

A tractor-trailer truck accident took place last month in which five people died and twelve people got injured. The accident took place in Fort Worth when the victims of a previous accident were getting some help from a few good samaritans. The tractor-trailer crashed all of them.

Who was at fault?

Was it the driver? It's easy to put the blame on him, but there are skid marks on the tires of the car indicating the driver tried to stop the car right before it slammed the victims. Does that mean the truck manufacturing company is responsible? Again, it's not easy to jump to the conclusion because other factors may have played out.

One way to stop truck accidents from occurring is installing a collision warning system. They are also known as the early braking system. A company called Volvo Trucks Global has developed a braking system that enables a truck to recognize an obstacle and quickly respond to it.

Such systems are not only crucial for preventing truck accidents, but also for a lawsuit over a truck accident.

How so?

After a truck accident, when the accident victim sues the trucking company or the truck driver, both parties try to prove the accident took place because of the fault of the other. The plaintiff tries to prove the truck had design issues or its tires were blown out, yet the trucking company allowed it to run on the roadway.

The defendant, on the other hand, tries to prove everything was perfect with the truck and the driver was driving in a completely safe manner; the victim met the accident because of his own fault.

An early braking system in a truck may influence the judge to think the truck had some state-of-the-art technologies embedded to it, and so it’s unlikely for it to cause an accident. The defendant's lawyer then needs to sort out a way through which the trucking company could be held responsible despite the presence of some high-tech tools.

The collision warning technology has already been acknowledged by Business Insider. Normally, a truck driver is the held responsible for an accident, whether he's guilty or not is proved later. But if the said technology is put to use, then it's impossible to hold a driver responsible because the trucks with this technology will drive by themselves.

The demand for self-driving vehicles is not showing any sign to stop and Volvo's new semi-trucks can fuel it further. Safety on the road is what this technology offers; a number of transport companies are going to fall for it. A big rig loaded with cargo can cause a huge crash if the driver falls asleep. But with this technology, the truck will stop at the right moment, saving lives.

The safety of the passenger vehicles on the road is not the only thing to worry about. The driver's safety is equally important. Last month, a tractor-trailer met an accident on the US Highway 271 in Arthur City, Texas. The truck driver lost control and hit a utility pole. The same month, there was another big-rig accident in San Antonio. The obstacle was a sharp curve on Interstate 35. He tried to move past the obstacle and ended up losing control and flipping over the truck.

These are examples of semi-rollover crash. Such crashes occur almost everyday on highways and prove fatal for the driver as well as for other vehicles on the road.

If you run a trucking company, then it's essential for you to stay updated about the newest automobile technologies. Just as we've discussed here, installing such technologies in a tractor-trailer truck can prevent an accident from taking place and save people's lives. True, such technologies could be a bit expensive but investing them could save your back as you won't be summoned by the court because a truck owned by your company has hit another car or an individual on the road.

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