Do Commercial Trucks Have Safety Features?

The number of fatal commercial truck accidents increases every year. And because there is a shortage of truck drivers and limited space to carry cargo, companies impose tight deadlines. As a result, drivers may speed, drive while they are tired, or exceed federal limits on the number of consecutive hours driving.

However, some commercial trucking companies have added safety features to lower the risk of crashes. Though these safety features may not completely eliminate the risk of accidents, they go a long way in reducing the number of serious injuries and fatalities. If you’ve sustained injuries in a truck accident in Arizona, contact the Phoenix accident attorneys at ELG. Our team of truck accident lawyers in Phoenix and Mesa is here to help.

What Safety Features Do Semi-Trucks Have?

Generally, semi-trucks haven’t changed much on the outside, at least as far as other drivers are concerned. But safety features have become much more advanced over the last few decades. For example, a few popular safety features that some companies have outfitted their commercial trucks include:

• Smart cruise control: This feature helps truck drivers maintain a safe speed and stay in lanes.
• Automatic emergency braking systems and air disc brakes: Typically, semi-trucks have much longer braking distances, but these features help minimize the distance needed for a semi-truck to come to a complete stop.
• Lane-departure warning: Particularly helpful for fatigued drivers, lane-departure warnings keep truck drivers aware of drifting.
• Blind-spot monitoring: This feature allows truck drivers to see smaller, more compact cars in their blind spots, helping them avoid catastrophic collisions.

Safety Features Added to Semi-Trucks in the Future

Authorities continue to develop additional safety features and systems each day. In fact, numerous trucking companies are in the process of installing cameras, radars, and blind-spot alerts.

Vehicle designers and engineers have also developed forward-collision mitigation systems. These systems allow companies to provide their drivers with automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. Another upcoming feature is vehicle-to-vehicle technology, allowing drivers to notify each other when they are getting too close. To drive safely near trucks in the future, some of these new features are essential. They could reduce your risk of injury or death after a truck accident in Arizona.

One main obstacle in incorporating these safety features, however, is that many truck drivers have driven the same truck for many years. Most trucking companies do not feel pressured by their drivers to incorporate these features. Furthermore, new safety features tend to be more expensive, deterring some companies from purchasing and installing them for their fleet.

Truck Accident Attorney in Arizona

Despite current safety features and future upgrades to safety technology, truck accidents can’t always be avoided. If you’re injured or your vehicle is damaged in a truck accident, contact our Phoenix accident attorneys at ELG. Call our Arizona accident lawyers at (623) 877-3600 for a free consultation and legal representation today. Whether you’re a truck driver who’s sustained injuries or a passenger car driver, it’s important to seek legal recourse in the aftermath of a crash.