When Truck Drivers Rely Too Much on Safety Technology: Our Attorneys Discuss

Technology has its advantages and disadvantages. When implemented into large commercial trucks, it can help prevent serious truck accidents in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The downside to technology is it can become a crutch for some drivers. Operating a massive big rig requires sharp mental and physical skills. When truck drivers don’t use them, they lose them. That’s why reliance on safety technology presents long-term consequences that can potentially increase the risk of truck accidents.

What are the new safety features?

While it has been a slow progression, some new trucks now come standard with safety features. These include:

• Lane-departure warning: This feature can recognize when drivers veer out of their lane or off the road. It alerts drivers by emitting a sound.
• Collision-avoidance: This feature recognizes potential collision risks and alerts drivers to stop or slow down.
• Rollover protection: This feature recognizes when a tractor-trailer is about to roll over and automatically stabilizes it.
• Advanced driver-assistance systems: Semi-autonomous features such as adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance systems, and blind spot detection are common advanced driver-assistance systems.
• GPS fleet tracking: This feature allows a truck’s location, speed, time in service, and direction of travel to be monitored.
• Dashboard cameras: By monitoring truck drivers, dashboard cameras can capture footage which can be used as evidence if a crash occurs.

The risks associated with safety features

Truck drivers are urged to use these safety features with caution, as they’re not a substitute for attentiveness and driving skill. Even if a safety feature works 99 percent of the time, there is that one percent chance that it could experience a glitch or malfunction altogether.

Additionally, sensors can be obstructed by rain, snow, and fog. When this happens, a potential crash risk may not be identified. Truck drivers should be fully engaged and prepared to take control of their vehicles at all times.

When drivers fail to uphold their duty of care, they should be held accountable. Since trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, the damage they can do in a crash can be devastating and affect multiple parties. In many cases, truck accidents are complex. Trucking companies have enough money to pay for the best legal representation available to them. They also have their own team of investigators and adjusters who can gather biased evidence at a crash scene.

That’s why you need an experienced truck accident attorney in your corner who knows how to handle the most complex truck accidents. If you or a loved one was injured in a crash, contact Recht Law Offices today to schedule your free, no obligation case evaluation. We proudly represent injured motorists in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.