While the trucking industry plays a vital role in the economy, it creates the potential for more traffic accidents.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 108,000 injury accidents involving large trucks and buses in 2020. For people involved, a rig with a black box offers priceless information for a lawsuit.
1. What does a black box do?
Similar to the devices on aircraft, an engine control module, often referred to as a black box, continuously records data regarding the truck’s operation. Depending on the type and setting, information recorded includes the truck’s speed before impact, sudden acceleration or deceleration, hours and miles driven, and length of excessive speeds.
2. How does it impact trucking accidents?
Truck drivers face many unique challenges that other drivers may not realize. Although they have break requirements, meeting schedules often come first. A black box helps truckers and trucking better adhere to safety rules, which may factor into the declining percentage of accidents. After an accident, law enforcement and attorneys can obtain the recorded data to prove negligence.
3. Do all trucks have them?
While everyone can benefit from trucks having black boxes, the law does not require them unless the trucking company has a fleet of more than six big rigs. Luckily, modern manufacturers typically include them in new vehicles. Although the practice started in the 1990s to battle warranty claims, the technology proved itself beneficial in many other ways.
After any accident, time matters. The sooner a claim gets filed, the better the chances of a successful outcome.