Most people associate technology with household gadgets, such as smart thermostats or activity trackers. However, we can also use technology to make Utah roads safer for everyone. Trucking companies are beginning to use fleet monitoring technology to track their operations and improve truck safety. In addition, these systems compile critical evidence that may strengthen your personal injury case against a driver or truck company.
Despite there being evidence of a crash, you might not know how to use it to get the compensation you need. If this is the case, contact the Utah injury attorneys at Feller & Wendt. Not only will we review the evidence from trucking technology, but we will also look for other pieces of evidence that pinpoint liability. We can negotiate with insurers on your behalf to ensure you receive fair and proper compensation for your losses.
How Fleet Monitoring Technology Works
Fleet monitoring comes in various forms, including telematics, collision avoidance systems, and advanced driver assistance systems.
- Telematics: Combining GPS and telecommunication systems, telematics gives trucking companies real-time data regarding the location of trucks in their fleets, drivers’ behavior, and vehicle diagnostics.
- Collision Avoidance Systems: Technologies that sense vehicles and other hazards can warn the driver or autonomously avoid collisions by braking or moving the truck back to the proper lane.
- Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: These are systems that can automate specific tasks for drivers, such as adaptive cruise control, adaptive exterior lights, or blind spot detection.
These systems use sensors, cameras, cellular radios, and algorithms to monitor driver performance, the truck’s mechanical performance and status, and other safety issues.
How Does Technology Prevent Truck Accidents?
Trucking companies are introducing these systems into their fleets to increase driver safety and productivity and reduce costs. Telematics and other fleet monitoring systems may help prevent truck accidents by:
- Warning drivers when they are speeding
- Rerouting trucks away from congested or unsafe areas
- Tracking drivers’ activities, allowing companies to retrain problem drivers
- Remotely diagnose mechanical issues
When companies use these systems safely and consistently, they can enforce safety regulations and reduce the risk of a truck accident.
Will Fleet Monitoring Technology Help My Truck Accident Case?
Truck accidents require plenty of evidence that may establish that the truck driver or company was negligent. Advanced fleet management systems can provide some of the evidence needed, such as the truck’s speed, route, mechanical functions, and braking and acceleration patterns. Systems can also help document a driver’s behavior and whether they violated federal hours of service. With this data, an experienced Utah truck accident lawyer can help reconstruct the accident, dispute drivers’ claims, and establish negligence.
Additionally, these systems store information that may further help your claim. Through the data, a trucking company may have known that the trucker involved has a history of unsafe driving and failed to address the behavior. They may also have insufficient safety and training procedures. Conversely, a truck driver or company may have known about mechanical problems and failed to fix them.
A company’s lack of a fleet monitoring or telematics system may also help your claim. These are common and critical technologies that can make the roads safer, and failing to install them may contribute to negligence.
Contact an Experienced Truck Accident Attorney in Utah Today
An experienced Utah truck accident attorney can help you gather and analyze complex data from fleet monitoring systems. Additionally, they can address additional causes to the crash, insurance coverage, and other factors that may affect your claim. However, you must act quickly. Trucking companies only keep these logs for a limited time and may delete the evidence to escape liability.
The sooner you contact a truck accident attorney at Feller & Wendt, the more help they can be. To schedule a free consultation, call (801) 499-5060 or complete our online contact form.
