Drivers
Image Source: Digital Trends
The average cost of a commercial truck accident is $59,150, and it adds up: according to the 2012 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report (the most recent compilation of trucking accident data), 330,000 trucking accidents occurred in the United States alone. Of these, about 100,000 resulted in injury and roughly 3,900 resulted in fatality. Nearly 30% of all trucking accidents are the result of driver fatigue—long hours, irregular sleep, and strict deadlines make the job extremely dangerous.
One in ten highway deaths are the result of trucking accidents. Image Source: American Injury Attorney Group
Self-driving cars are already in the works, so it only makes sense for engineers to develop a self-driving truck that will ultimately save lives and meet delivery demands. The Freightliner Inspiration is the world’s first automated 18-wheeler capable of self-driving on the highways, but you can bet it won’t be the last.
Image Source: Road & Track
As present, the truck’s self-driving capabilities are limited. A driver must still be present to operate the truck in situations where heavy snow or unpredictable traffic becomes a factor: the truck alerts the human when it is time for him or her to take the wheel, and if the driver doesn’t respond, the truck will come to a gradual stop.
For now, the human counterpart is necessary, but soon enough, large trucks may very well be lifeless shells on the highway.
