Driver Assistance Tech Cuts Truck Crashes by 50%

Operating commercial vehicles, specifically tractor-trailers, is not an easy task. Truck drivers have to deal with the weather, oversized loads, hazardous materials, other drivers, road hazards, and many other problems when behind the wheel. Technology has been an increasing problem on the roads of America as accidents caused by distracted drivers continue to mount. However, technology can also be part of the solution when it is put to good use.

Driver assistance technology has been credited with cutting truck crashes by as much as 50%. The primary types of technology credited with these decreases are:

Automatic emergency braking (AEB). Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is a technology that will be standard in most motor vehicles by 2022 but has taken longer to infiltrate the trucking industry. This technology features a forward-collision warning, which helps to mitigate the number of front-to-rear accidents.

Advanced driver assistance systems. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include AEB and many other safety features that help protect drivers of passenger vehicles. ADAS systems are making their way into commercial vehicles and Woodruff wants to see that all manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles voluntarily make AEB standard on every new vehicle that comes off the line.

ADAS systems include the following:

• AEB
• Intelligent headlights
• Adaptive cruise
• Blindspot detection
• Lane-keep assist
• Automatic wipers

Big trucking companies are seeing big drops in crash numbers

J.B. Hunt has seen a decrease in crashes involving its trucks with the addition of ADAS and FCW technology in 98 percent of its fleet. Aside from a 50% reduction in rear-end collisions, J.B. Hunt has also seen the severity of its accidents decrease, a decrease in driver turnover, and a decrease in equipment downtime. Greer Woodruff, senior vice president of safety, security, and driver personnel transport for J.B. Hunt, credits the use of the aforementioned safety tech to the reduction in problems.

It’s not just J.B. Hunt that has seen a drop in crash rates: Schneider National has also reported a reduction in crashes involving its trucks. Within the first three years of their trucks utilizing safety systems, the company saw a 68% decrease in rear-end collisions and a decrease of 95 percent in the severity of accidents.

Werner, based in Omaha, has also experienced a drop in crash numbers. Jamie Maus, Werner’s vice president of safety and compliance, said that the company’s accident rates have dropped by half and the severity has also decreased. “What once was a fatal accident is now an injury accident,” she said. “An injury accident is now a property damage accident, and property damage accidents have become nonexistent.”

Despite many national trucking companies utilizing ADAS and other safety technologies, trucking accidents are still a serious issue on the roads of America. To schedule a free consultation for your case at one of the Rocky McElhaney Law Firm offices in Nashville, Hendersonville, Knoxville, and Clarksville, call us today at 615-425-2500, or complete a contact form online.