Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) claim multiple technologies within a semi-truck cab may decrease the accident risks associated with driver fatigue. According to VTTI Senior Research Associate Dr. Gregory M. Fitch, nearly 80 percent of truck accidents occur while a driver is not looking forward when a vehicle ahead begins to stop. Because of this, technologies such as forward collision, lane change, and eye glance warning systems may help sleepy drivers avoid a crash.
Currently, many individual technologies designed to increase truck driver safety reportedly exist. VTTI’s Darrell S. Bowman claims that multiple safety measures are more effective at combating driver drowsiness than any single technology. Bowman stated a combination of technologies tends to improve quality and reliability because each one has different limitations. He believes a variety of in-cab safety tools could make it easier for commercial drivers to know when to find an appropriate place to stop and rest before they fall asleep behind the wheel.
According to a VTTI Specialist in Behavior-Based Safety Research, Dr. Jeff Hickman, many of the same technologies used to combat driver fatigue may also protect against driver distractions. Additionally, mobile phone signal blocking equipment and in-dash cameras may also be used to increase 18-wheeler driver safety.
In 2011, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a formal ban on all handheld cellular telephone use by tractor-trailer drivers. Federal trucking regulations like this are designed to protect both drivers and passengers traveling on the roadways in Texas and across the rest of the country from preventable and potentially deadly truck accidents. Despite numerous federal and state safety laws, semi crashes still happen.
18-wheeler accidents may be caused by a number of factors including driver fatigue, inattention, and carelessness. Individuals who were hurt by a negligent big rig driver in Texas may be entitled to file a claim for lost wages and benefits, medical bills, any disability that resulted from the collision, and pain and suffering. Certain family members of someone who was killed in an accident with a semi-truck may also be eligible to recover funeral expenses and other damages. If you were hurt in a traffic wreck that was caused by a truck driver, you should contact an experienced truck accident lawyer to discuss your options for recovery.
Please contact us if you were injured or a loved one was killed in a Texas tractor-trailer crash. Our caring Austin truck accident attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience helping 18-wheeler accident victims across Texas recover the financial compensation they deserve. To schedule a free, confidential case evaluation with a knowledgeable advocate, do not hesitate to call or contact us through our website.