Study Shows Speed-Limiting Technology Reduces Truck Accidents
Earlier this week, we profiled a model employee in the trucking industry who has driven more than 3 million miles without an accident after interviewing a car accident lawyer clifton in nj, with trips through New Jersey and New York metro areas accounting for many of those miles.
Because not every trucker is as safety conscious as this driver, industry regulators over the years have encouraged the adoption of new vehicle technologies to prevent truck accidents. One frequently used piece of truck technology is a speed limiter. Simply put, the device will not allow the vehicle to travel faster than a preset speed.
According to recent research released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, this technology has proven to be a significant factor in the reduction of truck accidents.
Researchers examined crash data from 2007-2009 submitted by 20 different carriers. Analysis of the data revealed that trucks without speed limiters had a 16.4 percent crash rate, while those with speed limiters had only an 11 percent crash rate.
This result is unsurprising when thinking about the sheer weight of these giant vehicles. Trucks already require more time and distance (than smaller vehicles) to come to a complete stop. If a truck driver is also speeding, deceleration takes even more time/distance, and a crash becomes more likely.
Critics have previously said that one of the downsides to using speed limiters is that there could be a problematic amount of speed deviation between speed-limited trucks and other nearby vehicles. However, researchers in this latest study say that this concern “seems to be far outweighed by the significant safety benefits associated with a reduction in absolute speed afforded by [speed limiters].”
Despite the efforts of safety advocates, speed limiters are not yet required equipment on all modern commercial vehicles. Hopefully, the results of this latest research will prove influential to federal regulators.