Could technology help reduce motor vehicle accidents caused by negligence by commercial vehicle drivers? A recent study indicates that the answer to this question could be a very emphatic yes.
The technology the research regarded are video safety monitoring systems for buses and trucks. Such systems involve: having video cameras installed inside of a bus or truck, having the cameras record what the driver of the bus/truck is doing when out on the roads, and then having the cameras transmit the recordings to the company the driver is affiliated with so the footage can be reviewed. The hope with such systems is that they could help companies identify and address any safety issues regarding their drivers before such issues lead to accidents.
The research, which was from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, came up with some rather staggering estimates regarding what effects these systems could have if they were used in all large trucks and buses in the United States. The research estimated that, if used nationwide, the systems could:
- Cause an over 20 percent drop in fatal bus/truck accidents in which bus/truck driver negligence played a role.
- Cause an over 35 percent reduction in injury-causing bus/truck crashes in which bus/truck driver negligence was a factor.
- Reduce bus/truck accident fatalities by a little over 800.
- Reduce bus/truck accident injuries by 39,000.
If these estimates are accurate, they indicate that these systems could be a very valuable tool in cutting down on the occurrence of bus/truck accidents.
Some individuals have expressed skepticism regarding the accuracy of the estimates, claiming that the study the estimates are based on had flawed methodology.
What do you think of video safety monitoring systems for trucks and buses? Would you like to see all bus and truck companies use such systems?
Finding out what ways are effective at addressing and preventing negligence by bus or truck drivers is very important, as such negligence can lead to rather major accidents. Such commercial vehicle accidents can cause people to suffer injuries that deprive them of resources, their independence, their ability to work, their ability to perform certain tasks and, in some circumstances, even their lives.
Legal claims may be able to be pursued against bus or truck drivers who cause injury-causing or fatal motor vehicle accidents through negligent conduct.
Source: The Palladium-Item, “Study: Video monitors in trucks, buses could save lives,” Larry Copeland, May 8, 2014
