NTSB Wants Crash Avoidance Systems on U.S. Trucks

The National Transportation Safety Board wants collision warning systems on all new U.S. commercial vehicles to reduce rear-end accidents, Bloomberg reported.

The agency also urged the Department of Transportation to write rules to make standards among manufacturers, such as adaptive cruise control that slows a vehicle when it closes in on another car or truck.

Rear-end accidents account for 30% of highway crashes, and killed a total of 1,923 Americans in 1999. These accidents are the second-most common wreck after frontal crashes, according to Bloomberg.

The NTSB said nearly 50% of rear-end collisions could have been avoided if vehicles had audible warning systems that were heeded by drivers.

Reuters noted the board cited statistics and accident investigation findings that show the consequences of rear-end collisions are more severe when commercial vehicles are involved.

However, the study also found the passenger vehicle was almost four times as likely to be the striking vehicle in these collisions.

Collision avoidance systems are marketed now by six companies, with an average cost of $2,000.