Truck accidents often result in very serious injuries for the truck drivers and for the other vehicle drivers, and rear-end collisions occur more frequently than most other types of trucking accident.
What if there was a way to eliminate truck accidents completely?
That is the question asked by global truck components suppliers ZF and WABCO. These global truck suppliers recently unveiled the next step in rear-end collision avoidance technology, according a recent article in Overdrive, an online truck industry magazine.
The new technology
ZF and WABCO unveiled the Evasive Maneuver Assist (EMA) system, the next step in accident avoidance technology. This system was created to work in tandem with the existing OnGuard active braking system.
The OnGuard system senses when a rear-end collision is imminent and applies the brakes to avoid it. The new EMA system detects – based on speed and distance to the collision – when the automatic braking alone will be insufficient to avoid a collision. Then it automatically swerves to avoid the collision.
The system can steer the truck into an open adjacent lane or a safe shoulder to avoid an accident.
Does this new technology increase the danger?
Of course, this technology raises a number of questions. The most important concern centers on the loss of control for drivers. Most drivers, especially those who make their living behind the wheel, do not want artificial intelligence technology to take control of the vehicle at any time.
What if the technology fails? What if this failure results in a more serious accident than what would have occurred if not for the technology? Who would be held liable for damages in such a scenario?
These questions remain to be answered, of course, and it is entirely possible that this technology will work perfectly and prevent countless accidents. That is the hope and the goal of these intriguing new innovations.