SmartDrive Video System for Accident Prevention
In 2016, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that the trucking industry begin using video recorder technology across all fleets to improve safety. The NTSB made this recommendation after a study found that this technology could reduce truck accident related fatalities and injuries by as much as 35 percent.
Now, a new technology called SmartDrive is becoming increasingly popular in big rigs across the United States. The technology is used as a training tool to assist drivers in making good decisions.
One company, Central Oregon Truck Company, decided to install the SmartDrive technology two years ago in all 315 of its trucks. The tool is used to train drivers with limited experience, to correct bad habits in experienced truck drivers, and to learn about the cause of accidents.
Central Oregon employs five “coaches” that review the videos and speak with truck drivers about their mistakes. This feedback system can help drivers correct bad habits before they begin to form. According to one of these coaches, all truck drivers develop bad habits over time and can become complacent in their vigilance.
Accident Reduction is Good for All
Not only are trucking accidents extremely dangerous for passenger vehicles, due to the large size of commercial trucks, but they are also expensive for trucking companies. In addition to the suffering that they cause injured drivers and their families, each trucking accident comes with an average cost of $500,000 to $11 million, depending on whether there was a fatality.
Because this SmartDrive technology seems like something everyone can get behind, research firm Frost & Sullivan has predicted that it will grow by 22 percent between now and 2020. Frost & Sullivan project that in as little as two years, there will be over one million trucks fitted with SmartDrive technology on American roadways.
Other Video System Options
SmartDrive is not the only video system on the market to improve truck safety. Lytx manufactures the DriveCam video system, which provides trucking companies with performance data on their truckers, allowing them to compare drivers and rank them according to their safety. This provides incentives for drivers to be vigilant and take precautions.
Another company, MiX Telematics, already has nearly 650,000 subscribers. MiX Telematics cameras can be mounted on various parts of a truck’s exterior and can be used to study the cause of accidents.
All of Central Oregon Truck Company’s Kenilworth trucks are fitted with one external facing camera, and one that faces the driver in the cabin. However, they allow their more experienced drivers to turn off the internal facing camera.
New Brunswick Truck Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Fight for Victims Injured by Negligent Truck Drivers and Their Employers
Many fleets are installing SmartDrive and similar technologies to deter dangerous habits like distracted driving. Countless innocent drivers suffer injuries and lose their lives due to distracted truckers, and these accidents are all preventable. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a negligent truck driver, our team of veteran New Brunswick truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr can help you get answers. Call us today at 732-537-8570 or contact us online today. We provide free, no-obligation initial consultations. From our offices in Highland Park, New Jersey, we serve clients in Middlesex County, including the communities of Highland Park, Somerset, New Brunswick, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin
