Technologically Advanced Tractor Trailer Unable to Compensate for Driver Fatigue

By Thomas Greer | June 14, 2014

There are all kinds of tractor trailers on the roads nowadays, from older models which may or may not meet current safety standards, to brand new big rigs, equipped with better underride guards, technologically advanced collision avoidance systems, and other safety features. While some of the safety mechanisms on newer trucks may help to prevent some accidents or to lessen the severity of accidents that do occur, the fact remains that tractor trailers are driven by humans.

The behavior choices that truck drivers make in their everyday lives can have far-reaching consequences for themselves and others when they are on the job. A recent tragic accident in New Jersey serves as an example of how human error can override even the most technologically sophisticated safety features.

On June 7th of this year, comic Tracy Morgan was injured and his companion, Jimmy Mack (James McNair), was killed when a tractor trailer crashed into the limo van that they were riding in. Two other passengers were also injured in the crash. The accident happened on the New Jersey Turnpike, around one o’clock in the morning. The tractor trailer is owned by Wal-Mart, and company officials say that it was equipped with features like forward looking radar, interactive cruise control, automatic braking, blind spot sensors, and controls which prevent it from going faster than sixty five miles per hour. Unfortunately, all of those safety features did nothing to prevent the collision. As the truck approached the limo van and other slow moving traffic around it, it failed to slow down. At the last minute, the truck driver swerved to avoid the limo bus and slammed into it, flipping the bus onto its side.

Although the accident is still under investigation, it has been reported that as of the time of the accident, the driver of the truck had not slept for twenty four hours. It is possible that the driver of the truck which caused this terrible accident was very tired at the time that the accident occurred. Driver fatigue is a frequently cited factor in trucking accident cases. Recent changes to trucking industry regulations reduced the amount of hours that truck drivers can work each week, but driver fatigue continues to be a serious problem despite the new regulations. Lawmakers are currently asking for more changes to trucking industry regulations, such as enforcing requirements for the use of electronic tracking devices (black boxes) which monitor the amount of hours that a driver spends on the road. Black boxes were required as of 2012, but the federal government has not put pressure on drivers or companies to use them as of yet. The driver of the truck has been charged with vehicular manslaughter, as well as several charges of assault by auto.

If you have been injured or someone that you love has been killed in a trucking accident, protect your rights by speaking with an attorney right away. The knowledgeable Memphis Trucking Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC will sit down with you to learn about your case, explain your options, and help you decide how to proceed. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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