Recent Safety Innovation in 18-Wheeler Design

Washington, D.C.; Maryland Virginia

The diesel engine is a 19th century technology, but modern 18-wheelers are advanced machines, and there are many 21st-century technologies that can help them be safer vehicles. Updates do cost money, though, and some trucking companies are not prepared to invest in the safety of other drivers on the road. If you lost a loved one or were seriously injured in an 18-wheeler accident, it may be of no comfort that the technology to prevent your accident existed but was not used. However, you can take comfort that pursuing a lawsuit may inspire trucking companies to install these relatively inexpensive technologies and save another family from having to suffer your tragedy.

The FMCSA and New Technologies

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the branch of the Department of Transportation responsible for regulating and monitoring 18-wheelers and other large commercial vehicles involved in interstate commerce. As part of its mission, it identifies technologies that may help prevent truck accidents. Although it does not necessarily endorse them, it has issued briefs on all the following technologies.

Brake Monitoring System

Most 18-wheelers use air brakes to stop. When the brake pedal is applied, these brakes use pneumatic pressure to push the brake shoe and lining against the brake drum when the pedal is applied. Although the system works well to generate the force necessary to stop loaded 18-wheelers, it can be prone to many problems, problems that can result in a dangerous or fatal 18-wheeler accident. Some of these brake problems can be diagnosed instantly by an onboard brake monitoring system:

• Brake over-stroke, which can reduce the effectiveness of brakes
• Non-releasing brakes, where the brake shoe does not retract, and may lead to excess friction, overbraking, jackknifing, and fires
• Inoperative brakes

Brake monitors can even detect faulty brakes before they would be obvious to either a driver or maintenance personnel, thereby preventing many potential accidents. Brake monitoring systems cost as little as $1200 per truck.

Rollover and Jackknife Prevention Systems

18-wheeler rollover accidents can be the most dangerous type of accident for truck drivers and passengers in other vehicles. They can lead to spilled cargo, which can cause secondary accidents or even a hazardous material spill. Jackknife accidents (where the cab swings around and the trailer keeps moving) are also very dangerous, being far more likely to cause a fatality than other types of 18-wheeler accidents. Many SUVs are now equipped with rollover prevention systems as a standard part of their safety package. Although rollover and jackknife prevention systems are available for 18-wheelers as well, they are not standard. These systems use data from the truck’s wheels to determine when the 18-wheeler begins to exceed a safe speed for a particular maneuver. The system then automatically applies brakes on individual tires in a pattern designed to reduce the vehicle’s speed and improve its orientation, preventing a rollover or jackknife. These systems cost just over $1000.

Collision Warning Systems

Even careful drivers who know about an 18-wheeler’s blind spots have to pass through these areas when passing or merging near a large truck. Sometimes, an accident occurs because a truck driver only checks his mirrors at the moment your car cannot be seen. Collision warning systems prevent these truck accidents by warning truck drivers about the presence of vehicles they cannot see. They include back-up and sideswipe collision alarms to inform truck drivers about potential hazards outside the view of mirrors. Front collision warning systems can not only tell a truck driver when he is likely to hit a vehicle in front of the 18-wheeler, but also automatically brake the truck to prevent an accident. These systems can cost from $2000 to $2500, depending on the system.

If you have been hurt in an 18-wheeler accident that could have been prevented by one of these technologies, pursuing a truck accident lawsuit helps not only you, but everyone on the road. Your lawsuit might get compensation for your injuries, penalize a trucking company that does not implement life-saving technology, and maybe even prevent a future tragedy. To learn more and find out how the truck accident lawyers of Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. can help you, please schedule your free consultation today.