Earlier last month, one of the nation’s largest freight trucking companies (Swift Transportation) began equipping their trucks with both a front-facing and a driver-facing cameras. Why? The pressure to monitor truck drivers a bit more closely and reduce the number of devastating trucking crashes has caused this sudden shift. Yet, while this technology has the potential to reduce trucking crashes, not everyone is happy about it. Truckers see it as an invasion of their privacy and they are less than thrilled.
The financial cost of crashes for large carriers is astounding. In 2012, an injury crash cost trucking companies an average of $195,258; a fatal accident cost over $3.5 million. In recent years, there have been more than 4,000 trucking accident fatalities across the United States. In addition, settlements to victims and their families routinely exceeded the federally mandated $750,00 per incident.
As a result, trucking companies are beginning to embrace the technological advances that would help reduce the number of accidents on the road.
How can driver-facing cameras improve driving skills? When a person believes that he or she is being observed, behavior improves dramatically. A 2011 study found that observation improved undesirable behavior by as much as 50%.
Further Reading: Car Crash Risk Spikes in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy
Truckers, however, have not exactly embraced this concept. They have flocked to trucking industry forums to express their outrage at using these cameras. They believe that the cameras are an invasion of their privacy and excessive oversight by their bosses and the trucking industry.
Those who are in favor of these cameras, however, believe that they will actually help truck drivers avoid being found negligent for accidents they did not cause - thus helping truckers in the long run.
In 2004, a study done by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration found that car drivers were actually responsible for up to 70% of all trucking accidents. It is the hope that front-facing cameras and driver facing cameras will help to establish who is truly to blame for these horrific accidents so that liability can be assigned to the correct party.
Contact Our Denver Trucking Accident Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a trucking accident in Denver or anywhere in the State of Colorado, it is important to speak to an experienced trucking accident lawyer immediately. We can help you fight for your rights to compensation so that you can recover fully.
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