Georgia Injury Law Blog
Auto braking systems that use sensors, cameras and other devices to determine whether the vehicle is too close to the vehicle in front can significantly reduce the risks of auto accidents involving pickup trucks. However, according to a new study, far too many pickup trucks are lacking this important safety feature.
Many automobiles now come with automatic braking systems that significantly reduce the risk of certain types of auto accidents, specifically rear-ender accidents. Pickup truck manufacturers have been slow to add these very important safety features to their vehicles. A new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety lays down exactly how important automatic braking systems are for pickup trucks.
The study used data from 25 states between 2007 and 2012, and the researchers found in their analysis that the rate of rear-end car accidents involving pickup trucks was 43% lower in cases in which the truck was equipped with an automatic braking system. In cases of auto accidents involving an injury, the rate was 42% lower in the case of pickup trucks equipped with automatic braking systems. Overall, there was a 73% reduction in the number of injurious and fatal car accidents involving pickup trucks, when these vehicles were equipped with auto braking systems.
Auto braking systems have played a significant role in the reduction of auto accident rates involving cars and trucks. This data clearly shows that pickup truck drivers can also benefit when their vehicles are equipped with the same systems, but manufacturers have been slow to introduce these features to these vehicles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is calling on pickup truck manufacturers to add auto braking systems to their vehicles in order to reduce the risk of potentially serious or fatal car accidents involving these vehicles.
The need for these systems is even more dire when you look at how popular pickup trucks are. Nearly 1 out of every 5 vehicles in the United States is a pickup truck. Their popularity means that there are far too many vehicles in the United States that are not equipped with the technology that allows them to stop quickly in the case of an emergency. Moreover, pickup trucks are larger sized vehicles, and any accident involving these vehicles and smaller passenger cars can lead to serious injuries involving the occupants of the smaller car in the collision. Pedestrians and bicyclists also are at risk when they are involved in car accidents with pickup trucks. For these reasons, it is imperative that auto manufacturers add these important safety technologies to their pickup trucks.
The Atlanta car crash attorneys at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons injured in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to a lawyer at our firm and determine if you have legal options to a claim for damages. You may be eligible for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other types of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case.