New research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s field study of heavy vehicle crash avoidance systems identified that trucks who have collision avoidance systems inside the vehicle, over the course of a twelve-month period, experienced zero rear end crashes when vehicles were traveling ahead of the truck. Although the current programs in place help prevent trucking accidents in the form of rear-end crashes to the tune of 87%, this new technology shows promise for increasing that number even further.

These systems were identified as beneficial because they worked as intended with no negative impacts to the driver’s safety behavior. Fleet safety managers who had these devices installed in the trucks also indicated that they would be happy to recommend this technology as standard across the industry. Trucking accidents are extremely expensive for the at-fault parties as well as for the injured victims. Medical costs for treating injuries from a trucking accident can be astronomical.

Trucking accidents involving these major vehicles could lead to catastrophic injuries. Since trucks are so much heavier and bigger than cars, a rear end accident involving a truck who slams into a vehicle ahead of him or her can yield devastating injuries. The repercussions of a severe accident can impact a victim and his or her family members for years to come. Many struggle financially and some victims might not ever be able to return to work.

In many trucking accidents, the victims of these injuries never fully recover from the accident and may be eligible to file a personal injury claim to fight for compensation.