Georgia Injury Law Blog
Mandatory stability control systems in all tractor-trailers, especially tanker trucks, could help prevent as many as 3,600 rollover accidents every year and save more than 100 lives in these accidents annually.It’s the reason why Atlanta truck accident lawyers have strongly called for such systems in all commercial trucks.The National Transportation Safety Board is calling on a number of federal agencies to work together to implement rollover accident prevention systems for commercial trucks and buses.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s concern over truck rollover accidents comes through in its report into a truck accident in Indianapolis in 2009.The accident which injured five people was ultimately blamed on a tanker truck careening out of control, and flipping over, setting off an explosion.The tanker truck had been loaded with 9,100 gallons of liquefied petroleum gas at the time.
Tanker trucks represent just 6% of the total number of trucks in the country, but account for more than 30% of all fatal truck rollover accidents.Tankers carry liquid cargo, and this cargo may be prone to shifting while in transport.This shift can cause a redistribution of weight, possibly causing the truck to flip over.Tanker trucks very often carry hazardous materials like gasoline, and so, the risks from a rollover accident do not end as soon as the truck flips over.In most of these cases, the hazardous material can leak, posing a serious risk of explosions, fires and toxic exposure.
In the Indianapolis accident, the National Transportation Safety Board mentions a number of factors, including road design and reckless driving.In particular, the report mentions excessive and faulty use of the steering mechanism.However, the National Transportation Safety Board says that this accident could have been prevented if the tanker truck had come with stability control systems to minimize the risks of rollover.
Stability control systems have been available for years now, and many trucking companies have chosen to install these devices in their vehicles.The National Transportation Safety Board has called on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration to develop rollover prevention systems and technologies for commercial trucks and buses.The National Transportation Safety Board also wants the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to develop stronger standards for cargo tanks, in order to prevent rollovers.
The Board also wants the National Traffic Safety Administration to establish stability control standards for commercial trucks and buses that have a GWR of more than 10,000 pounds.It also wants the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to set new standards for cargo tanks, and require mandatory installation of stability control systems on all commercial vehicles.
Trucking safety experts have found rollover prevention technology in tanker trucks to be very effective in preventing rollovers.In many of these accidents, truck drivers are not even aware that the cargo tank is about to flip over until it’s too late.The stability control system can actually override the tanker truck driver, effectively preventing a possibly serous, or even fatal, rollover accident.