3 Harrowing Videos That Stress The Value Of Safety Tech
Extreme weather conditions can mean more floods, more damaged roads, and higher chances of dangerous collisions. For truck drivers, those statistics remain high year-round, as they’ll spend more consecutive hours on the road in a wide range of risky conditions.
Having the best-in-class safety equipment doesn’t insulate drivers from these conditions, but it does mean that they’re better-prepared to face them and deal with the aftermath when they occur.
It’s the hair-raising (and sometimes tragic) incidents like these that make us grateful for high quality safety solutions:
Texas Pileup
As a freezing rain and sleet hit Texas last year, the roads became treacherous. Icy conditions on the highway became so deadly, that there was a 133-vehicle piled-up covering a half-mile area, which began with a tractor sliding into other vehicles at high speeds. Sadly, 6 people died and 65 people sought medical care for injuries stemming from the incident.
Though out of their control, drivers who face these conditions can be proactively cautious by driving at lower speeds, keeping an eye on their surroundings, and making sure the equipment that assists with visibility can function in wintry conditions. Heated cameras and 360 systems in the middle of winter could be lifesavers!
Semi Flips Truck On I-75
It’s not just a teen problem--adults get distracted by phones while driving too, and some of those adults drive commercial vehicles. In this case, the semi truck driver was cut off by another vehicle and was unable to react in time, causing his truck to flip over and spill fuel. Though he survived the experience, his company was forced to pay a hefty fine (one of many in a long line of violations).
Commercial fleet vehicle operators may have dash cams to record driver activities, which help in hindsight-- but investing in devices that give early warning signals would be a better preventative measure. Collision avoidance systems, proximity sensors, and 360 systems can help offset the costs of injuries, insurance, legal penalties, and liability issues that would’ve otherwise happened down the line.
Head-on Collision Dash Cam Footage
This hair-raising video shows a motorist who fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed into a semi-truck. The dash cam shows the collision from the driver’s point of view, who was under the influence of a prescription medicine. Luckily, everyone survived!
Though a dash cam recorded the incident, there are a number of devices that could’ve possibly helped prevent the collision in the first place. Driver fatigue systems measure driver drowsiness, while proximity alert systems and collision avoidance systems alert drivers of potential collisions before they happen. No doubt, any one of these (along with some hard braking) would’ve helped prevent this accident.
There’s no magical fix to preventing collisions, but investing in safety solutions definitely shifts the odds in your favor--and can possibly save a life one day.
