Maintenance tracking technology could be key in reducing accidents
New technology has always played a role in reducing the number of injuries from car and truck accidents. Whether it's vehicles designed with crumple zones, trucks with underride bars, or improvements within passenger cabins to protect riders, new technology has been responsible for saving countless lives. The latest technological wave looking to help the trucking industry deal with incidents before they happen is a collection of new maintenance tracking programs.
While driver error is the number one cause of tractor trailer accidents, maintenance failures, especially related to braking systems, are also a major contributor to accidents and fatalities. Because of this, federal trucking regulators have passed down many guidelines for vehicle maintenance and inspections.
Tracking what maintenance needs to be done and scheduling those repairs is becoming much easier as new technology comes online. Drivers used to use paper driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) to document the work that needs to be done. Companies are increasingly using electronic DVIRs and storing the information digitally as a way of making the process more efficient. Many systems are now capable of instantly having a computer schedule maintenance work and order parts as soon as the DVIR is logged.
These new technologies are not yet mandatory for companies, though it will certainly make complying with safety regulations easier if a trucking company adopts a high tech system. Hopefully all companies will find ways of using these new technologies to make their fleets safer.
