Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a wealth of research on all things transportation related. One study provides the following information on the topic of braking distances for trucks of various weights. While this blog will only provide brief highlights - you may visit www.nhtsa.gov for further information.

Current Stopping Distance Requirements for Medium and Heavy Duty Vehicles
Vehicle Type:
Tractor- trailer-Stopping Distance from 60 mph was a whopping 335 feet.
These numbers are not new and have been consistent for may years. However, with the advances in technology we should expect better braking from commercial vehicles.

The purpose of the research was to validate current stopping capabilities for vehicles and using these figures as a starting point for improving expectations. The following suggestions are currently under consideration:

*Substantially shorten the required stopping distances for ALL vehicles - buses, automobiles, semi-trucks and tractor trailers from their current abilities.

*Improve heavy duty brake systems for semi-trucks and tractor trailers AND increase brake retardation force.

The research study was presented recently by two NHTSA project engineers.

Continue reading "Stopping Distance For 18-Wheelers" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a valuable national organization dedicated to keeping the public informed about all things related to traffic safety - from product recalls to safe driving tips and more. Their website is easy to locate - and is so chocked full of interesting and timely information that I would recommend you make it a 'favorite' site to visit on a regular basis if you are interested in 18 wheeler accidents, trucking or motor vehicle safety.

Consider some of the following topics recently covered by the NHTSA.

There is continued concern about 15 passenger van accidents. They have been involved in a number of recent and high profile personal injury and wrongful death fatality accidents that have called passenger vulnerability into question.

In addition, the site offers regular reminders of safe driving habits for all weather conditions.

Too, you may find out more quickly about a vehicle recall on this site instead of waiting for notification by mail. In fact, the website will explain how to get these types of notifications sent directly to your email or phone.

And if you are interested in the latest findings of annual vehicle crash tests - and which vehicles have been deemed the safest because of them - all of this data is available at this site.

Finally, as new information on a wealth of topics becomes available - older articles are saved and can be accessed through the search menu.

Have you ever noticed that muscle cars and souped up trucks tend to be driven by persons who think that the only speed appropriate for such vehicles is - simply too fast?

While we tend to (over?) emphasize the fact that distracted and drunk driving account for a large number of injuries and fatalies in automobile and truck accidents - we often overlook speeding as another major factor in these same statistics.

Yet, according to some sources, speeding accounts for thousands of city and highway deaths each year - and it may be one of the simplest problems to cure.

Persons who have been pulled over by law enforcement for speeding continue to repeat the mantra that they 'didn't realize they were going so fast' or they didn't realize they were 'exceeding the legal speed limit'. This technology may further assist the driver by either offering a verbal warning (in that pleasant female voice to which we have all grown accustomed) or by engaging some type of braking system that will cause the vehicle to slow down to legal limits.

Ah, the wonders of technology - pretty soon the car will be doing all the driving for us.

Well, smart technology is now being developed that will actually communicate with the vehicle to let them know if they are traveling at a speed that exceeds the limits of the area. While many may not like such technology, it would be especially helpful for teen drivers.

Continue reading "What's Your Hurry?" »

New 18-wheelers will be required to decrease fuel consumption and emissions by 20% in 2018.

Medium duty and heavy-duty trucks will also need to cut fuel consumption and emissions but not to the same extent as big rigs. These new standards are required under a 2007 law, which starts to cover vehicles sold in the 2014 model year.

Ultimately, the new energy efficiency rules will benefit not only the trucking industry but also America itself. For years, our presidents have indicated that Americans addiction for oil was something that needed to be addressed for our own security. Adding energy efficiency to long-haul trucks will make the business of trucking more profitable as the single largest expense of a trucker is his fuel.

Given what we sent men to the moon over 40 years ago the common sense approach to requiring better fuel efficiency for all vehicles is long overdue.

Continue reading "New Mileage Standards For Trucks" »

The national Highway transportation safety administration announced recently that stability control systems could prevent truck rollover accidents and save multiple lives every year.

The technology in effect can override the truck driver and slowed the vehicle when the system senses that the truck drivers going too fast. The University of Michigan conducted testing and the conclusion was that almost 4400 injuries annually could be prevented.

According to the NHTSA, many truck drivers do not have any indication that they are going to roll over immediately before the accident. Particularly at risk are large trucks that are heavier in the cargo area. Tanker trucks carrying heavy liquid are the most likely candidates for a rollover accident.

The study found that over 50% of tanker truck rollovers involves taking a curve at his speed faster than the truck can allow. The new system is designed to prevent such accidents.

The stability control systems work by using sensors that tell an onboard computer when weight is shifting or about to shift. The computers then apply braking too slow the truck down and avoid the rollover accident.

According to industry sources trucking companies have not accepted the new technology or at least have been slow to adopt the system. It is likely that until such systems are required many truck companies will not go to the expense of implementing the new technology.

Continue reading "New Technology to Prevent 18-Wheeler Rollovers" »

Technology to prevent or reduce truck accidents has come a long way in the last 10 years. One such technological advancement is the antilock braking system.

In anti-lock braking system is a computerized system that keeps eight trucks wheels from completely locking up during heartbreak application.

The ABS is an additional breaking element in other words it is in addition to a proximal break. The ABS does not decrease or increase normal braking capacity it only activates when the wheels are about to lock up.

ASB systems contain sensors that detect when a truck's wheel may lock up; the system then activates and prevents the wheels from locking up.

ABS systems are particularly helpful on wet roadways and have been shown to reduce jackknife and skid accidents.

Even if an ABS is only on the tractor or only on the trailer it's still provides the truck driver with more control over the vehicle during hard braking applications.

Continue reading "Antilock braking systems on 18-wheelers" »