Truck accidents kill hundreds of people every year in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. According to Department of Transportation data, in 2012, 143 people died in Pennsylvania alone from truck crashes.
But an innovation in traffic safety technology, engineered by Samsung, may help to decrease truck accidents. Termed a ‘Safety Truck,’ a more apt name may be a ‘See-Through’ truck, read on to learn how this development could affect your safety as you navigate I-95 and other trucking routes.
The ‘See-Through’ Truck
Of course, the truck isn’t see-through. However, to drivers who are driving behind a large truck, see-through is certainly what it appears to be. The technology is very simple. Samsung connected a wireless camera to the front of the 18-wheeler. Then, a live stream from the camera is displayed on four screens attached to the rear of the semi tractor-trailer.
As such, a driver who’s driving directly behind a semi can see what the semi truck driver sees, i.e., what’s occurring on the road in front of the tractor-trailer.
Why create a ‘safety truck?’
Samsung created the safety truck with the hope of reducing accidents that are caused by a driver wanting to pass a truck, but not being able to see whether or not there’s space in front of the semi or oncoming traffic. Now, drivers will be able to see both, allowing – hopefully – for safer takeovers.
The Reality of Safety Trucks on the Road
The safety truck that Samsung manufactured was a prototype that’s no longer in use. Despite this, though, Samsung is partnering with local governments in hopes of turning the safety trucks into everyday realities on roads throughout the United States.
In 2014 in Pennsylvania, there were 7,168 heavy trucks involved in crashes throughout the state. What’s more, there were 4,162 traffic accidents in Pennsylvania in 2014 that were caused by careless or illegal passing: 61 of those accidents were fatal. Hopefully, getting safety trucks on the road will significantly reduce these numbers.
Avoiding a Truck Accident
It may be a while before safety trucks are a common sight seen on highways. Until that time, it’s important that drivers exercise caution when driving around large trucks. Always give trucks plenty of stopping distance, never drive within truck drivers’ blind spots, and don’t pass a large truck unless you’re sure that it’s safe to do so.
If you are in a truck accident in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and need to prove negligence to recover damages, an attorney can help. Call the legal team at Cordisco & Saile LLC to learn more about truck accident liability and compensation at 215-642-2335.
