A federal bill to make tractor trailers safer has caught the attention of the Georgia Department of Transportation. This piece of legislation comes after five nursing students were killed and three others seriously injured in April when an 18 wheeler failed to stop, plowing into traffic that had stopped on I-16 in Georgia.
A few weeks later, in May of 2015, five more people died when another tractor-trailer smashed into two cars and burst into flames on the same section of highway.
A few weeks later, in May of 2015, five more people died when another tractor-trailer smashed into two cars and burst into flames on the same section of highway.
The accidents prompted Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson to introduce the “Safe Roads Act of 2015” this month.
“Tragically, the simple installation of automatic braking systems on all commercial motor vehicles – a $500 safety feature – might have prevented these deaths and countless others across the country,” said Johnson. “America’s roads and highways should be safe for all drivers. Taking full advantage of technologies that are available and proven to anticipate and prevent crashes will save lives.”
According the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in 2011 alone, commercial motor vehicles were involved in nearly 130,000 crashes, resulting in more than 4,000 fatalities and 80,000 injuries.
Johnson stated that truck and bus traffic on the roadways are expected to increase due to the forecasted growth in population and the corresponding increase in movement of freight and passengers. The congressman stressed that any increase in truck and bus traffic also increases the potential for additional accidents.
If passed and signed into law, requiring Forward Collision Avoidance and Mitigation or (F-CAM) would bring down the costs per vehicle to approximately $500, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) estimates — which Hanson says far outweighs the costs in terms of preventing lost productivity, injury and loss of life.
Referrals & Co-Counsel
Involved in a Crash?
No other law firm knows trucks quite like us. Our trucking law expertise and trial experience allow us to win multi-million-dollar results year after year.
Our team of truck accident attorneys works tirelessly to help your family find justice in the wake of a catastrophic truck crash.
Referrals & Co-Counsel
No other law firm knows trucks quite like us. Our trucking law expertise and trial experience allow us to win multi-million-dollar results year after year.
Involved in a Crash?
Our team of truck accident attorneys works tirelessly to help your family find justice in the wake of a catastrophic truck crash.
Here at the Truck Accident Attorneys, we commend Hanson for taking the initiative to make America’s roadways safer. We hope that lawmakers nationwide will see the value in such a bill and pass it into law immediately.
If you or a loved one have ever been hurt or injured in a crash or have lost a loved due to an accident involving a tractor trailer, contact us today at (800) 628-4500 to find out how we may assist you with your case.
Related posts:
No related posts.
