March 13, 2013 While a Global Positioning System (GPS) can be a valuable tool to a truck driver, a lack of data can sometimes put truckers on roads they shouldn't be traveling and even lead to accidents. One particular danger in New York has been GPS units instructing tractor-trailers to travel on roads with low bridges and overpasses. A Truck Accident that occurred last September prompted a deeper look into the high number of bridge collisions in the state. A story released by Action 12 News explained that the crash happened at the bridge along Mamaroneck Road over the Hutchinson Parkway when a tractor-trailer driver’s GPS unit instructed him to travel on the road. He soon approached the low overpass and collided with it, sheering the cab of the truck. More than 90 crashes have occurred at this particular location during the past two decades. This number prompted Senator Charles Schumer to call on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to find a solution to the problem. The agency recently announced it would not only be implementing a campaign to educate the trucking industry on proper use of a GPS unit in a commercial vehicle, but will also require drivers to become legally certified to use the systems. The Buffalo Personal Injury Lawyers at William Mattar Law Offices are hopeful the changes will reduce the number of serious trucking accidents in New York.
New York Truck Accidents Prompt Federal Action on Use of GPS Units