Federal Regulators Propose Automatic Emergency Braking Systems for Commercial Vehicles
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which regulates the commercial trucking industry in the U.S., recently announced a proposal that would require commercial trucks to have automatic braking systems on board. Initial estimates indicate that using this type of equipment could mitigate not only the frequency, but also the severity of rear-end truck crashes and rollover accidents.
What are Automatic Emergency Braking Systems?
The FMCSA’s new proposal would require the installation of automatic emergency braking systems in commercial trucking fleets throughout the country. These devices would be similar to those used in passenger vehicles in that they would use sensors and cameras to detect whether a vehicle is in danger of a collision. If such a threat is detected, the system would either:
- Apply the truck’s brakes if the driver hadn’t yet done so; or
- Increase the truck’s emergency braking power if the brakes were already applied.
While they can help prevent accidents of all kinds, the automatic emergency braking system has proven especially effective at preventing rear-end accidents, which, while they may only result in a fender bender when two passenger vehicles are involved, can have devastating consequences when one of the vehicles is a commercial truck. The FMCSA estimates that there are as many as 60,000 rear-end truck accidents every year and that the use of an automatic emergency braking system in commercial vehicles could prevent at least 19,000 such accidents.
Truck Accident Recovery
The FMCSA’s proposed rule won’t go into effect until at least next year and will apply only to trucks that exceed 10,000 pounds. While the use of these systems should go a long way towards preventing truck accidents, these kinds of crashes will still occur, leaving thousands of injured victims in their wake. In these cases, accident victims who can prove that someone else was responsible for their crash could be entitled to compensatory damages for their injury-related medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage, and pain and suffering. While no amount of financial compensation may be able to return an accident victim to his or her pre-crash level of health, it can play an integral role in helping accident victims obtain the treatment they need, pay off their bills, and begin the long road to recovery.
Reach Out to Our Experienced Tulsa Truck Accident Lawyers
Trucking companies are typically well-funded and well-represented, which can make filing a claim after an accident a daunting endeavor. Fortunately, you do not have to go through this process alone, but could benefit from the assistance of an experienced legal professional. For help navigating the truck accident claim filing process, or to learn more about the ins and outs of pursuing compensation via personal injury litigation in Oklahoma, please call Levinson Law, P.C. and set up a meeting with one of our experienced Tulsa truck accident lawyers today. You can reach a member of our legal team by calling 918-492-4433 or by completing one of our online contact forms.
Sources:
nhtsa.gov/press-releases/heavy-vehicles-automatic-emergency-braking-proposed-rule
agrinews-pubs.com/news/farm-equipment/2023/07/08/us-safety-agency-to-require-automatic-emergency-braking-on-heavy-trucks/
