New Technologies Strive to Trim Accident Toll

rom built-in-stability control systems to collision avoidance radar technology and in-truck cameras and sensors, fleet managers are incorporating and testing new technology in an effort to make trucks safer for their drivers to operate and to reduce the high costs of highway crashes.

The financial incentive to do that continues to be strong. A trucking company would need to generate an additional $2.5 million in revenue to offset every $50,000 in accident losses incurred, said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The agency’s numbers are based on the as-sumption that a company is operating on a 2% profit margin. The agency reported that the average cost per crash when a large truck or bus is involved is $62,613, adjusted for 2003 dollars.