How To Decrease The Number Of Fatal Truck Accidents In South Florida

Fatal crashes involving semi-trucks occur far too often in South Florida, and sadly those numbers are continuing to grow. These crashes make the commute to work, home, or anywhere else perilous for South Floridians. While technology is available for truck driving companies that regulate the speed of truck drivers, signals erratic driving, and prevents rear-end collisions, it has yet to be implemented. Despite the rise of fatal crashes, both the trucking industry and federal regulators have been complacent when it comes to moving forward with mandates for installing tools that can help mitigate accidents and reduce the number of lives lost.

HOW CAN THIS TECHNOLOGY HELP MAKE THE ROADS SAFER?

The technology available to assist the trucking industry to become safer is called fleet monitoring technology. Implementing this can significantly decrease the number of rear-end collisions on the road by having automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning systems installed in semis.

Each year, at least 15,000 people are injured in wrecks with a semi-truck, and at least 300 people get killed. These figures alone should spark outrage in Congress and among Florida’s legal representatives as to why nothing has been done to mandate safer driving conditions for truck drivers and passenger vehicle drivers alike.

In Europe, the E.U. has already demanded that both new and old semi-trucks install crash avoidance systems. The U.S. must follow suit. Regulations have a purpose. If the trucking industry abides by safety regulations for reasonable safety standards, our roads will become a much safer place with fewer semi-truck crashes.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO DECREASE FATAL SEMI-TRUCK ACCIDENTS?

Congress must require all semi-trucks on the road to be equipped with fleet monitoring and collision avoidance technology to create a safer environment for all on the roads. Fatal crashes would decline, and the entire trucking industry would become safer should this technology be used.

Why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has failed to require these necessary changes is incomprehensible. Companies that have installed forward collision avoidance systems claim that this simple fix can prevent more than seven out of 10 rear-end truck collisions. Since the 1990s, the National Transportation Safety Board has endorsed having the NHTSA mandate forward crash avoidance and mitigation systems on all semi and 18-wheeler trucks.

Experts in road safety confirm this technology can significantly prevent deadly crashes. If these systems had previously been in place, it might have prevented many fatal rear-end truck collisions. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ, recently urged Congress to take purposeful steps toward safety improvements across the entire transportation sector. Preventing fatal accidents on our highways is something that everyone should be concerned about.

On Dec. 19, Senate Bill 3005 was introduced to place safety and speed regulations on all commercial semi-trucks, both new and old. If this legislation passes and becomes law, commercial semi-trucks won’t be able to exceed 65 mph. While this is the start of a possible change toward safer road regulations, implementing additional fleet monitoring technology is still necessary to make our South Florida roads safer.

EXPERIENCED TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The extreme size and weight of semi-trucks can cause unthinkable, severe accidents. These accidents lead to significant personal injury and property damage. If you or a loved one has been involved in a collision with a semi-truck or tractor-trailer, the experienced attorneys at the Law Offices of McCullough & Leboff are here for you.

Our attorneys in South Florida have more than 48 years of combined personal injury law experience. To fill out a free case evaluation, click here or contact us. The attorneys at McCullough & Leboff are committed to getting our clients the results and maximum compensation that they’re due after the traumatic experience of a truck accident.