FL Tests Driverless Crash Truck to Protect Road Workers
Later this year, the Florida Department of Transportation will deploy two driverless crash trucks, designed to serve as a crash barriers to protect highway construction crews. The autonomous vehicles, designed by Royal Truck and Equipment, are able to follow a lead car on their own, without the need for a driver. They are equipped with large warning signs and impact attenuators, which absorb the impact of a crash to protect road workers.
Manned crash trucks have been utilized to protect road workers for over three decades. They have been credited with reducing road work zone injuries and deaths caused by rear-end collisions by approximately 50 percent. While this is an outstanding reduction in injuries and death to road construction crews, the driver of the crash truck is still at risk of injury or death in the event that it is hit by another vehicle.
With its driverless vehicles, Royal Truck and Equipment aims to eliminate the possibility of injuries to crash vehicle drivers. With crash trucks in place to protect road workers from automobile crashes, crash truck drivers are unavoidably placed in a dangerous situation.
Driverless crash trucks utilize technology similar to what is used in unmanned military vehicles. Royals driverless crash trucks are being developed through a partnership with Micro Systems, a technology firm which supplies the U.S. military with unmanned vehicles.
Upon completion of Floridas pilot program, Royal Truck and Equipment plans to use the program data to find more work for their driverless crash trucks with other state transportation departments. The company aims to be able to offer autonomous vehicles at roughly the same price as manned crash trucks.
If you are injured in any form of car accident, from emergency vehicles on the side of the road to a simpler rear-end accident, the experienced team of auto accident attorneys at Phillips Law Group can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Call 1-800-706-3000 or complete a free case evaluation form today.
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