According to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, 2015 is the year for improved truck safety standards. For the past four years, the amount of fatalities because of truck accidents has been on the rise in Denver and the rest of the U.S., but despite this trend and the more than 100 safety recommendations offered by the NTSB, highway regulators have failed to make any changes.
Even though the rate of fatalities has increased in the past four years, transportation is not as dangerous now as it was just a decade ago. With tighter regulations, roads in the U.S. could be safer than ever before. Getting highway regulators on board is a different task, however. The NTSB investigates accidents related to transportation, but it has no legal authority to enforce improvements.
In a recent interview, the NTSB’s director of highway safety said that there is a wide range of technology available that would reduce the amount of accidents. One piece of technology the NTSB is pushing for alerts truck drivers when a vehicle is switching lanes or when a vehicle is about to get struck from behind. In addition to the adoption of new technologies, the NTSB also wants trucking companies to face other restrictions. According to the board, an average of 20 percent of truck inspections reveals safety violations.
With more than 2 million truck drivers in the United States, it is important for individuals to stay safe while on the roadways. Semi-truck accidents can result in serious injuries and financial complications, and many victims choose to seek out compensation for damages. Although filing a legal claim is not the only method of obtaining recompense, it may be the best course of action in some cases.
Source: Bloomberg, “Trucking Safety Should Be a Higher U.S. Priority, NTSB Says,” Alan Levin, Jan. 13, 2015