Oklahoma truck accidents can be particularly frightening. The impact of an 18-wheeler impact can be devastating, and people in smaller vehicles are far more likely to suffer severe injuries or even fatalities as a result of a crash. Due to the threat posed by truck collisions to roadway safety, a number of safety advocates are urging greater regulations. Proposed legislation would require all large trucks to use speed limiters and automatic emergency brake systems.
Advocates have said that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration research indicated that trucks that did not make use of speed limiters had a 200 percent higher crash rate than trucks using them. Some trucking industry officials said that they would support a requirement for truck speed limiters set at 65 mph if cars were also subject to the same speed limits. They believe that safety is improved most when people travel at the same speed, despite the far more significant dangers posed by trucking collisions.
In addition to the role that speed limiters can play in limiting crashes, safety groups said that automatic emergency braking could prevent over 2,000 accidents every year. These groups said that the Department of Transportation has done little to promote additional truck regulation for over a decade, and they said that Congress and the President can do more to promote change that could enhance roadway safety. The safety groups also said that a national infrastructure bill could be an important place to include additional trucking regulations.
Truck accidents can be devastating to occupants of other vehicles. People who have been injured in a truck crash caused by another party’s negligence can work with a lawyer to seek compensation for their losses.