Tech developments to combat fatigue on the road

On behalf of Aiken and Aiken P.C. Personal Injury Attorneys posted in Car Accidents, on Monday, August 31, 2015

Technology has been a heated topic with regard to its use by drivers in recent years, especially gadgets that contribute to issues such as distracted driving and car accidents. However, Massachusetts drivers may soon benefit from technological tools that are designed to increase driver awareness. Although it is difficult to measure fatigue after an accident, preventive technologies may significantly improve safety on the nation’s roads. The trucking industry has been working especially hard on the issue of driver fatigue, and those responsible for oversight of trucking safety have imposed time limits to ensure that drivers rest sufficiently. The accident that injured comedian Tracy Morgan in 2014 occurred in spite of such oversight as the truck driver in the case went without sleep for more than 24 hours prior to the auto accident. An alarm system might have alerted the driver to his fatigue so that precautions could have been taken prior to the collision. There are two particular areas in which developers are identifying ways to warn drivers. Vehicle motion alerts are being designed to warn drivers of forward collisions, lane changes, and leaving the road. Tracking systems for driver activities are also being developed to identify signs of fatigue, including blinking patterns and head movements. In either case, an alert might provide a driver with the time needed to safely correct their course of travel before a collision occurs. Although an alert is not a guarantee of safety, it may significantly reduce the annual occurrences of fatigue-related wrecks. An individual who believes that the injuries suffered in an accident are due to negligent actions by the other driver might review an accident report to determine whether issues such as impaired driving, distracted driving or fatigue were involved. If negligent driver behavior is identified, it might be reasonable to proceed with a personal injury claim.