{"id":1254,"date":"2020-04-01T07:59:48","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T12:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wrightgrayodev.wpengine.com\/?p=1254"},"modified":"2023-08-24T12:14:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T17:14:23","slug":"do-semi-trucks-have-black-boxes-that-can-help-with-accident-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wrightgray.com\/es\/do-semi-trucks-have-black-boxes-that-can-help-with-accident-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Semi-trucks Have Black Boxes That Can Help with Accident Investigation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most people are familiar with the term \u201cblack box\u201d as it relates to airline accident investigations. This box is meant to serve as a recording device that can withstand a plane crash and allow investigators to obtain a full picture of what happened in the cockpit before the plane went down. This device makes sense for airline crash investigations where there may not be any survivors, so wouldn\u2019t black boxes be installed in large semi-trucks that canvas the roadways?<\/span><\/p>\n

Up until a few years ago, the answer was \u201cno.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent laws and regulations regarding black box requirements in commercial semi-trucks have changed as people began to realize how these black boxes can help with accident investigations. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s important to note at the outset that as much as these devices can help with accident investigations, there are many moving parts to crashes involving semi-trucks<\/a>: both legally and physically. <\/span><\/p>\n

Retaining an experienced trucking accident attorney in New Orleans<\/a> early in the process can be crucial to ensuring your rights are protected.<\/span>In 2012, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported approximately 130,000 crashes involving large commercial trucks. The FMCSA found that nearly 15% of these accidents were the result of impaired driving \u2013 including driving while fatigued \u2013 and a call for the installation of electronic logging devices (ELDs) in semi-trucks followed. <\/span><\/p>\n

Two years later, the FMCSA announced that all commercial trucks and bus companies would be required to use ELDs in their vehicles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

ELDs are commonly referred to as black boxes, and function very similarly to those found on airplanes. The device logs a wide range of information that can be used to determine how the truck and the driver were operating in the moments leading up to an accident. <\/span>While the traditional black box found in planes is meant to record information that can help investigators determine the cause of a crash, the devices installed in commercial semi-trucks actually go a bit further. <\/span><\/p>\n

Because the FMCSA required trucks to install devices in response to growing concern regarding driver fatigue, these black boxes reveal other information about the operation of the truck before an accident. <\/span><\/p>\n

Information that may be revealed includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n