Trucking Alliance Adopts AAA Foundation Advanced Safety Specs
Photo: Maverick Transportation
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Photo: Maverick Transportation
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The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security (aka the Trucking Alliance) announced on Nov. 1 that its member carriers have adopted four truck-safety technologies that the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has concluded are critical to reducing large truck crashes and saving lives.
The Trucking Alliance noted that a new AAA Foundation report, “Leveraging Large Truck Technology and Engineering to Realize Safety Gains,” examined the costs and safety benefits of installing these four advanced safety technologies in large trucks:
Lane Departure Warning Systems, “which detect when the vehicle drifts out of its lane and warn the driver”Video-based Onboard Safety Monitoring, “which utilizes in-vehicle video cameras and sensors”Automatic Emergency Braking Systems, “which detect when the truck is in danger of striking the vehicle in front of it and brake automatically if needed” Air Disc Brakes [on tractors], “which are superior to traditional drum brakes”
While the AAA Foundation’s report acknowledges that “many large commercial fleets have begun equipping trucks with these advanced safety technologies,” the Trucking Alliance said it is the first U.S. carrier-based organization to adopt these technologies as conditions for membership.
“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,” said Steve Williams, president of the Trucking Alliance and Chairman/CEO of Little Rock-basedMaverick USA. “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 AAA Foundation report found that by installing automatic braking systems and air disc brakes on all new trucks, 7,705 accidents, 92 deaths and 4,200 injuries could be avoided. The report also projected that if onboard cameras and lane departure warning systems were installed on all new and existing commercial trucks, …Read the rest of this story
