NHTSA Study Reveals Effectiveness of Antilock Brake Technology
A study by NHTSA indicates that ABS systems on trucks are effective at preventing trucking accidents and in improving the overall safety on the road.
February 02, 2011
Because they weigh up to 80,000 pounds, when tractor trailers and other heavy trucks are involved in accidents, the consequences are likely to be serious. Any actions that help to reduce the number of truck accidents will help improve the overall safety of the roads and reduce the frequency of serious injuries.In an effort to reduce truck accidents, federal regulations have required all newly manufactured semi-trailers and trucks to have Antilock Braking Systems (ABS) since 1998. However, it was not clear how effective this requirement had been in reducing truck accidents until the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the results of a recent study.
Results of NHTSA Study
According to the study, mandatory ABS in Heavy Truck Tractors and Trailers has helped to decrease the overall number of truck accidents by about 3 percent.
Using crash data from seven states over a period of about 10 years, researchers compared the frequency of accidents for heavy trucks expected to have ABS to the frequency of accidents for those expected not to have ABS.
The study revealed that ABS resulted in a significant reduction in jack-knives and off-road overturns. Additionally, there was a reduction in the overall number of collisions where the truck driver was responsible for hitting another vehicle.
Researchers noted some limitations in the study; namely, they assumed that trucks manufactured before the ABS requirement took effect did not have ABS, and those manufactured after the requirement took effect did have ABS. However, some trucks manufactured before 1998 may have had ABS installed as a safety precaution, and it may not have been working in some trucks manufactured after 1998.
Overall though, it is clear that the mandatory installation of ABS has decreased the likelihood of truck accidents, which in turn reduces the opportunities for serious personal injuries.
Although there are still far too many truck accidents, this is a step in the right direction.
Article provided by Doehrman Chamberlain
Visit us at www.tortslaw.com