Despite the fact that big rigs are some of the largest vehicles on New York highways, many of them are lacking an automatic braking system that could save lives. While a lot of new cars are being equipped with this type of system, this isn’t usually the case with tractor-trailers. Here is more information about this issue and why we may see a change in the near future.
Why this can be deadly
It should come as no surprise that it can be difficult for a big rig to come to a complete stop suddenly. Because of this, thousands of people die every year in truck accidents involving big rigs because the driver just couldn’t stop in time. An automatic braking system can lessen these types of accidents as this system does have the ability to stop the big rig fairly quickly.
What’s being done
Because so many people have died from accidents involving big rigs, the issue has gotten a lot of attention from those concerned with road safety. A safety advocate’s petition was granted back in 2015 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require the installation of automatic braking systems on big rigs. However, there hasn’t been a lot of progress made towards getting trucks fitted for this system. Many advocates hope that Congress will take some sort of action to make automatic braking systems a legal requirement for these types of vehicles.
Installing automatic braking systems on big rigs does come with a cost. However, it will be worth it in order to make our roads a safer place and to save thousands of lives every year.