Truck accidents are a serious issue in that they are more likely to result in significant injuries and fatalities on the roads of Georgia. It is for this reason that the manufacturers of trucks are constantly looking for new ways to improve safety, both in design and use. One of the safety features which is almost universally used in large vehicles is “Rear Collision Warning (RCW) systems.
These systems alert the driver of the proximity of objects when reversing the truck, allowing him to slow down or stop in order to avoid a collision. While these systems are not 100 percent infallible, they do provide truck drivers with another tool that makes maneuvering large goods vehicles a little bit safer.
Front Collision Warning
Front Collision Warning (FCW) systems are more commonly associated with cars, and for good reason. These systems are expensive for truck companies to install across an entire fleet of vehicles. As the law stands, at both state and federal levels, there is no incentive for companies to install such systems. However, many truck companies have gone to the expense, regardless, with promising results.
In front-to-rear truck accidents, FCW systems have been estimated in testing to prevent up to 37% of collisions. That is taking into consideration factors such as weather, which can impact the accuracy of radar technology used to determine proximity to another vehicle or object. Modern FCW systems also rely on several technologies combined; such as radar, mirrors, GPS, and reflective lasers.
Continued improvements in FCW systems and automated vehicle responses could, in theory, significantly reduce the number of truck accidents. However, stopping truck accidents completely is another matter entirely. No FCW, using available technology, can mitigate common factors involved in truck accidents that have nothing to do with the forward motion of the vehicle.
Truck Accident Contributing Factors
The more advanced the FCW system, the higher the likelihood that a truck driver will react in time to potential hazards. The best systems available warn of potential collisions arising from objects in front of, from the side, and from the back of the vehicle. The proximity alert will help the driver apply the brakes but that alone is not enough to prevent a collision if another vehicle is determined to cut across lanes in front of the truck before it is able to come to a stop.
These systems are largely a warning system for the driver of the vehicle; whether a driver reacts in time and in the right way is currently reliant on the individual as automation still has a long way to go before it is considered safe enough to roll out across fleets of heavy-duty vehicles on our roads.
Truck Accident Lawyer, Georgia
If you have been involved in a truck accident, speak to the expert legal team of Fry | Goehring. We provide a free consultation to those injured in truck accidents through no fault of their own in the state of Georgia.
