Will Driverless Tractor-Trailers Contribute to Safer Roads?

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Distracted Driving

According to a recent study released by the trucking industry, the most popular mode of freight transportation continues to be by tractor-trailers. Although some cargo is delivered via rail, marine, and air transport, the majority of freight is transported by truck. This is evident to any commuter driving on the nation’s roads by the increasing numbers of those huge semis rolling by.

The study of the trucking industry revealed that was almost 10 billion tons of freight transported by truck last year, or approximately 70 percent of all transported cargo. Transporting that freight logged in more than 168.4 billion miles, which comes out to roughly 69,000 miles per truck. Additionally, according to the study, there were 3.4 million truck drivers driving those trucks.

The nearly 170 billion miles of transport also represent an increase in truck accidents which occur every year. National statistics put the number of annual fatal tractor-trailer accidents at almost 4,000. Another 77,000 truck accidents cause serious injuries to victims.

Often, injured victims are occupants in other vehicles and not the tractor-trailer. Many of these truck accidents are caused by driver error or negligence, including drowsy or distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or some other impairing substance, or speeding.

A recent announcement by a truck manufacturer may change all that, with the introduction of the first autonomous tractor-trailer. The unveiling of the vehicle took place in Nevada, which has approved the licensing for autonomous commercial trucks to operate on the state’s highways.

The truck is designed for the driver to relinquish control of all the vehicle’s safety-critical functions under certain environmental or traffic conditions. Once the driver turns control over, the truck’s system is then responsible for keeping a safe distance from other cars or vehicles, keeping at the legal speed limit, slowing down or stopping the truck completely depending on road or traffic conditions, and remaining in the lane selected by the driver. Once on local roads or exiting off the highway, the driver resumes control of the truck.

There is still much more research and development to be done before automated vehicles become standard on our roads. Whether or not they reduce the number of accidents caused by driver error remains to be seen.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, or any other type of vehicle accident, contact an experienced Orland Park personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the driver and/or trucking company. Sources: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2012 http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/equipment/news/story/2015/05/freightliner-promises-big-news.aspx http://www.tida.org/news/230191/Autonomous-Freightliner-Premieres-With-Hoover-Dam-Fanfare.htm