Truck fleet owners in Oklahoma may soon have to install automatic emergency braking on all new commercial vehicles. It depends on whether a bill that was introduced on July 16 in the House of Representatives will be passed or not. The bill is H.R. 3773, the Safe Roads Act of 2019, and it would require AEB systems on new CMVs and their use during vehicle operation.
Three congresspeople proposed the bill just as members of the Truck Safety Coalition descended on the nation’s capital to push for more truck safety regulations. The non-profit safety organization, which includes members who have lost family members in truck accidents, has long been pushing for an AEB mandate. It also continues to advocate for mandatory speed limiter use as well as front and side under-ride guards.
Two of the congresspeople have introduced another bill, this one called the INSURANCE Act, at the bidding of the Truck Safety Coalition. This bill would regulate the minimum insurance requirements of motor carriers so that they accord with the inflation rate of medical costs.
An AEB system costs about $500, which may be steep for some truck fleet owners. One of the congresspeople tried without success to introduce a bill mandating AEB back in 2015.
Whatever the outcome of the bill, there is no doubt that automatic emergency braking can prevent truck accidents, but collisions may still occur. Those who are injured because a trucker was drowsy, drunk, distracted or negligent in some other way may want to see a lawyer about filing a claim. If their claim is successful, they might be reimbursed for medical expenses, rehabilitative care, lost wages and more. Their lawyer may first strive for a settlement, litigating if one cannot be reached.
