Truck Safety Systems: Is Technology Saving Lives?

Truck Safety on Florida Roads

Sharing the road with large commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers can be intimidating when you’re riding next to them. It's not uncommon to see many of these types of trucks on Florida roads. According to a recent report by Carsurance, 500,000 truck-related crashes occur in the U.S. every year, causing injuries and fatalities. The size and weight of massive trucks compared to passenger vehicles often result in a devastating crash event putting smaller vehicles at a significantly higher disadvantage.

However, over the last several years, new motor vehicle technology has been developed in efforts to help to reduce the risks of truck crashes and save lives. Here are some safety systems installed in trucks to keep everyone safer on the road.

Types of Vehicle Safety Systems

There are two types of vehicle safety systems — passive and active. Here's how they work.

Passive Vehicle Safety Systems

Passive safety systems are typically visual and audible warning alerts that let drivers know of a potential crash threat. Some passive safety systems installed in large trucks may include:

• Blind-spot monitoring - Trucks have blind spots on all four sides and can cause a severe accident. The use of radar sensors and machine vision detects when vehicles are coming up on a truck's blind spot.
• Front and rear proximity sensors - Ultrasonic sensors are used to detect how close a vehicle or object is in front or behind the truck. Typically, this audible sensor will give off a beeping noise and get louder the closer the truck gets to the object or other vehicle.
• Backup cameras - Mounted on the rear of the vehicle and provides views for the driver when a truck is in reverse.
• Front cameras - Mounted on the front of the vehicle and provides views for the driver in low-speed driving situations such as parking.
• 360-degree view cameras - Mounted on the front, side, and rear of the vehicle for views when engaging in low-speed maneuvers.
• Forward monitoring - Camera mounted inside the windshield facing forward for monitoring vehicle movement. For example, when sudden, erratic maneuvers or crashes are detected, it will automatically record video clips and update them to a database where they can be reviewed. Typically this is used for training and driver feedback, but it can also be helpful in obtaining evidence of how a crash happened.
• Driver monitoring systems - This works like forward monitoring, except it will monitor a driver's behaviors and will record video clips in the event of erratic vehicle maneuvers or a collision.
• Forward collision detection - Provides audible or visual warnings to a driver through machine vision when the vehicle may be in a position that could put the driver at risk of a crash.
• Lane departure warnings - Provides audible or visual alerts when the truck is too close to the edge of a lane.
• Tire pressure sensors - Provides detection of underinflated or overinflated tires.

Active Vehicle Safety Systems

While active safety systems can have visual and audible alerts, the difference is that these systems automatically engage in an action if the driver does not respond to the warnings in time. These systems are an enormous help in reducing the likelihood of a collision or mitigate the severity of the impact. Some examples of active systems are:

• Electronic stability control (ESC) - If a truck loses control, the system can reduce engine power and engage in braking to wheels to assist with steering the vehicle to which the driver is intended.
• Roll stability control - Also known as rollover protection, works like ESC and will warn when a vehicle is likely to turn over on its side. When excessive lateral force is detected, the system will reduce engine power and apply brakes specific wheels to avoid a rollover crash.
• Adaptive cruise control - Only active when cruise control is engaged; it uses forward-facing radar and machine vision to alert a driver if they are getting too close to a vehicle in front of them. It will reduce engine power ad apply brakes to match the speed of the front vehicle.
• Autonomous braking - An emergency braking system in situations where a pedestrian, animal, or object is in the path of the vehicle.
• Forward collision mitigation - The use of autonomous braking and steering to avoid a potential crash.
• Lane keep assist - Use of machine vision to detect the vehicle's position on the road concerning road markings. If the driver departs a lane without using turn signals, the system will steer the driver back into the lane.

Hurt in a Truck Accident? Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. Can Help.

Sustaining an injury after being involved in a truck crash can be an extremely overwhelming event — especially after sustaining a severe or life-threatening injury. Not knowing where to turn for help can make the situation even more stressful for victims and their families. It's challenging enough when you need to heal from a severe injury, but having to deal with the insurance companies is a daunting task. Know that you are not alone, and our personal injury attorneys are here to help you through a difficult time.

Let us worry about the insurance companies so you can recover from your injuries. We have helped countless Floridians seek justice after being involved in an accident and receive the compensation they deserve, and we want to do the same for you.

Contact Rosenberg & Rosenberg, P.A. today at (888) 499-6206 to schedule a free consultation.