What improvements can be made?
AAA examined safety benefits and costs of the following four advanced safety technologies in both existing and new large trucks:
Lane departure warning system
Monitors where the vehicle is in the lane and provides a warning the driver can hear or feel if the system senses the vehicle drifting from its lane
Automatic emergency braking system
Applies brakes if the system detects the vehicle is in imminent danger of hitting the vehicle in front of it
Air disc brakes
Help prevent rear-end crashes by reducing stopping distance compared to traditional drum brakes
Video-based onboard safety monitoring system
Records the operating environment and driver behavior, thus allowing a risk manager to help promote safer driving habits and discourage dangerous behavior
Researchers found that societal safety benefits of equipping large trucks with lane departure warning and video-based onboard safety monitoring systems far outweigh the costs. Researchers also found the benefits of equipping all new trucks with automatic braking or air disc brakes could outweigh costs.