A recently released AAA Foundation report examined the costs and safety benefits of four advanced safety technologies on large trucks is already having an effect, according to the announcement that Trucking Alliance would adopt these safety recommendations.
The new technology includes lane departure warning systems that warn drivers when they are drifting between lanes, an onboard video and sensor-based monitoring system, automatic emergency braking systems and upgrades to air disc brakes. The report had found that the braking system upgrades alone on new trucks would reduce dangers by 7,705 accidents and 92 related deaths.
“These technologies can make the highways safer for our drivers and the public and why the Trucking Alliance carriers are installing them on new trucks,” Steve Williams, president of the Trucking Alliance and chairman/CEO of Maverick USA in Little Rock, Arkansas, said. “The AAA Foundation report shows how these automated technologies can help commercial drivers and motorists avoid accidents and return home safely to their families.”
The Trucking Alliance’s acceptance of these recommendations makes it the first U.S. carrier-based organization to do so–and make their adoption necessary for membership. For their part, AAA applauded the announcement, signaling it as an important step for safety on the road. Their foundation has separately noted that in 2015 alone, trucks were involved in more than 400,000 crashes, resulting in the deaths of more than 4,000 people and the injury of 116,000 more.
“There’s no question that truck safety technology saves lives,” David Yang, executive director of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said in a statement related to the study. “This new research shows that the benefits of adding many of these technologies to trucks clearly outweigh the cost.”