Ohio Truck Accident Help
A Division of Ohio Truck Accident
July 23, 2023
A new rule, proposed by the FMCSA and NHTSA would now mandate emergency braking systems in heavy vehicles in a effort to to curb deadly crashes.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed a new rule this week that would require heavy vehicles to have automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. The rule, which is aimed at reducing the number and severity of rear-end crashes, mandates AEB systems equipped with sensors to automatically apply brakes in a crash-imminent situation if the driver has failed to apply or needs to apply more force to the vehicle’s brakes.
The systems would need to operate effectively at speeds ranging from 6 to 50 mph, and the NHTSA estimates that once implemented, this rule could prevent over 19,000 crashes, save 155 lives, and prevent nearly 9,000 injuries annually. The new rule would cover heavy vehicles with a gross weight of over 10,000 pounds. This would include certain commercial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and buses.
Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted for 60 days as a standard part of the rule-making process. Still, as committed advocates for those hurt by the flaws in the trucking industry, we at Ohio Truck Accident Help, are encouraged by this news. We see it as a new step forward in improving road safety and reducing the harm on too many families.
“Advanced driver assistance systems like AEB have the power to save lives,” said NHTSA Chief Counsel Ann Carlson. “
Our Ohio truck accident attorneys tend to agree.
AEB systems are not a new concept, but their mandatory inclusion in very large and potentially deadly heavy vehicles is long overdue.
The systems automatically apply the brakes or supplement the driver’s braking with additional force in imminent crash scenarios. This could play a crucial role in averting countless accidents. If approved, we believe this proposal will significantly reduce the tragic toll of crashes involving heavy vehicles.
After all, the statistics of 19,000 crashes, 155 deaths, and more than 9,000 injuries a year are more than facts. These are real people and families being impacted by the fact that large vehicles on our roads are not as safe as they could be.
Considering that, according to NHTSA, there are roughly 60,000 rear-end crashes a year involving heavy vehicles, this proposed rule makes a lot of sense, and truck accident lawsuits have long been clamoring for better industry safety standards. So, what changed?
In January 2022, the USDOT released the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a roadmap to address the national crisis in motor vehicle fatalities and serious injuries. Other safety initiatives bolster the NRSS and highlight the government’s renewed commitment to making roadways safer.
One factor in the recent focus on emergency braking systems is better overall motor vehicle safety technology. For instance, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), like AEB, are no longer the future – they are the present. Such systems have proven effective in enhancing road safety and saving lives. Making these systems and similar features is a logical next step.
Also, the decision to mandate AEB systems goes beyond just effectiveness. It’s also a response to the need for more proactive measures for road safety. Current regulations predominantly focus on passive safety measures, such as seat belts and airbags, which protect occupants once a crash happens. But AEB and other ADAS features focus on avoiding crashes in the first place, marking a shift towards more active safety measures.
The proposed AEB rule marks a turning point in how we approach commercial vehicle safety, and we certainly applaud it. But we also understand the importance of buy-in from the trucking companies and truck drivers. These are the parties that most of all need to prioritize adopting life-saving advancements like AEBs and not see them as cost prohibitive.
At Ohio Truck Accident Help, our primary goal is to seek justice for our clients, often by recovering the financial compensation they need and deserve after being seriously injured. However, by diligently pursuing truck accident lawsuits, we can drive systemic change, push for better safety features, and prevent future tragedies.
Truck accidents are not like other vehicle crashes. But Ohio Truck Accident Help is not like other law firms. Call for a free, no-risk consultation if you or someone you love suffered serious injury or died in an accident with a large, heavy vehicle.