Traditionally, truck drivers have self-reported distance driven, rest stops taken, and other details. By federal law, truck drivers must log this type of information and make this data available as needed. For years, personal injury attorneys in Homestead and other communities as well as victims of truck accidents have been upset with the system, noting that truck drivers can forget to write down important details – such as when they took a rest stop – or can falsify information in order to hide the fact that they were driving longer than they should have. Technology, according to some experts, could help prevent this common problem and may even be able to help prevent truck accidents in Homestead and across the country.
Software promises to be a more effective way to log distance driven, speed, stops, and other truck driver information. Software, according to experts, would be harder to falsify and would automatically track data so that truck drivers wouldn’t have remember to note down this information themselves. In the event of a truck or car accident in Homestead or another community, the software would make this information available in a reliable format, so that victims and personal injury attorneys could review the facts.
Software Innovations
A company known as Telogis has developed software that promises to reduce the number of truck accidents in Homestead and across the country. The software is designed to improve driver training and knowledge of safety practices and also works to track driver behaviors behind the wheel. Developed for commercial truckers, especially in the gas and oil industries, the software tracks safety belt use, acceleration, speed, maintenance needs, gas use, and sudden braking. The information is made available to both the driver and to fleet managers in real time.
The software was developed because truck drivers involved in the gas and oil industry face shift work, long haul drives, and deadline pressure on the job. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), areas with well-developed oil and gas industries have a higher rate of truck accidents. However, experts believe that software such as this could help prevent traffic accidents in Homestead and across the country involving all types of commercial truck drivers, not just tankers involved in gas and oil industries. So far, software such as this has not been widely used, but in coming years experts predict that these types of systems will become standard for many motor carriers. After all, for motor carriers software can help them better track driver behavior and can help them weed out unsafe drivers who could embroil the truck carrier in a legal claim. In the event of an accident, the software can also help truck carriers defend themselves or can help provide hard data that can be used in a claim.
Have You Been Injured in a Truck Accident?
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Homestead or any other South Florida community, you will need a local personal injury attorney who can thoroughly investigate the accident. Since many trucks do not use tracking software, private investigators and accident reconstruction experts need to work closely with attorneys in order to find out what really happened in a crash. The Flaxman Law Group is a full-service law firm with an extensive network of private investigators, expert witnesses, and other investigative professionals who can help you get to the bottom of your accident and can help you build a strong claim. The Flaxman Law Group with is pleased to offer a free, no obligation consultation to all new clients. If you would like information about your legal options or if you’re not sure whether you have a case, you can always contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free, no obligation case evaluation.