Seeing a large commercial truck barreling down the highway next to you can be frightening enough. Now imagine that it’s being “driven” by an automated system.
That may or may not make you feel any safer. Although these systems are intended to improve safety, the federal government is still collecting data on that.
NHTSA has ordered more extensive reporting of crashes
In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently ordered stricter crash incident reporting for vehicles that have automated driver systems (ADS) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Operators of trucks and other vehicles that use either of these systems and manufacturers of the technology are to notify NHTSA within a day of any crash on a public road that resulted in “a hospital-treated injury, a fatality, a vehicle tow-away, an airbag deployment, or a vulnerable road user such as a pedestrian or bicyclist.”
They’re also to provide an updated report within 10 days as well as reporting on less serious crashes. According to the NHTSA order, “Given the rapid evolution of these technologies and testing of new technologies and features on publicly accessible roads, it is critical for NHTSA to exercise its robust oversight over potential safety defects in vehicles operating with ADS and Level 2 ADAS.”
Fault for a truck crash isn’t always easy to determine
With this new technology, determining where the fault lies when a truck causes a crash is even more complicated than it used to be. Truck crashes can be the fault of the driver, the company they work for that may be lax in how closely they follow regulations, the truck manufacturer and now the manufacturer of the ADAS or ADS system. If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a collision caused by a commercial truck, it’s essential to determine the cause of the crash and hold the appropriate parties liable.
