Driverless Trucks On The 110 Freeway
The Long Beach Press Telegram reported on an interesting event that occurred on the 110 Freeway last week. According to the story, three big rigs navigated traffic along the freeway without the assistance of a driver. The Volvo big rigs could communicate with each other, which is one of the key factors that experts hope will increase the safety of commercial transportation in addition to reducing pollution and increasing energy efficiency.
The project, a partnership between Volvo Group of North America and UC Berkeley Partners for Advanced Transportation, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and Caltrans. The vehicles travel together so that they can respond to their surroundings and each other.
A Volvo technology planner explained that when the lead truck slows, the other two trucks immediately reduce speed without any lag time thereby improving safety. The test was a loop that began at the Los Angeles Port Headquarters and ran to the Sepulveda Boulevard on the 110 Freeway and back again to make the 12-mile loop. While there may be kinks to work out, the test run seemed to proceed very smoothly.
Commercial Truck Accidents
There are very good reasons for working to make commercial trucking safer in the United States. The commercial trucking industry generates billions of dollars each year in this country. Commercial trucks are an efficient and effective way to move goods throughout the United States, but these large vehicles do pose a serious threat to other drivers and passengers using the same roads.
During 2014, there were 93,000 crashes involving large trucks or buses that resulted in 132,000 injuries according to statistics provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That same year, large trucks and buses were involved in 3,649 fatal accidents that resulted in 4,161 deaths. Only 701 of the deaths that year were occupants of the large trucks or buses involved in the accident.
The size and weight of commercial trucks make them extremely dangerous in a collision with a passenger vehicle. The occupants of passenger vehicles simply don’t have the same protection as the occupants of commercial trucks. A 5,000-pound passenger vehicle cannot withstand an impact with an 80,000-pound big rig.
Common Injuries in Commercial Truck Accidents
The victims in commercial truck accidents typically sustain permanent, life-altering injuries that result in substantial damages. Common injuries sustained in commercial truck accidents include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), internal organ damage, severe burns, and amputations. Thus, the victims incur great financial damages in addition to enduring great physical pain and emotional stress. Victims should receive full compensation for their damages, but insurance companies for the trucking company often fight these claims.
The best way to protect yourself if you are a victim of a commercial truck accident is to hire an experienced Long Beach truck accident attorney to protect your legal rights. A truck accident attorney understands the complex regulations and laws governing the trucking industry and how to use that information to prove negligence on the part of the driver, the truck company, or another party. Proving negligence is crucial if you want to recover compensation for your losses, damages, and injuries.
Call a Long Beach Truck Accident Attorney For Help
Our attorneys offer free consultations and free case evaluations for truck accident victims and their families. Call Torem & Associates at (888) 500-5000 or use the contact form on our website to schedule your free consultation with an experienced Long Beach truck accident attorney.
Source: “Video: Were those driverless trucks on the 110 Freeway?” by Rachel Uranga, Long Beach Press Telegram, March 8, 2017
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