GPS Tracking Used in Truck Accident Litigation
There are very many causes of accidents occurring on our drive ways every day. Accidents doesn’t only occur when the driver is texting while driving. Destructed driving can involve several other things which relates to any kind of driving behavior that keeps the drivers attention distorted such as smoking while driving, applying makeups, and eating while driving. One thing to bear in mind is that you shouldn’t treat any case of accident that comes to your table as a typical car wreck case. The amount of evidence that you get ranging from paper work and the electronic footprints can prove invaluable in spitting out potential defendants, defending the driver and other staff against any accusations of negligence and developing varied theories of liability.
The first thing that every lawyer will look for before serving any case in court is the evidence. One technology that drivers depend on to defend themselves in such an unfortunate instance is the GPS fleet tracking systems. Accident litigation is one of those loopholes that every hungry attorney is interested in to make fast dollars from innocent drivers and growing businesses like yours. GPS fleet tracking devices are very useful in protecting your company against short-term and long-term liabilities. GPS leaders is one of the most reliable GPS tracking system provider in California. For more information visit www.gpsleaders.com
However, GPS fleet Trucking should be your first line of defense in such a case. The below are some of the most common ways in which GPS fleet tracking systems can help you in defense.
GPS Fleet Tracking Devices Can Provide Details About The Accident
While GPS tracking devices don’t provide details regarding the mechanical state of the vehicle at the time of the accident, it can save important data regarding the speed at which the truck was travelling at the point of the accident, the braking, sharp cornering and much more. The system can also proof the amount of time the driver took to respond and slow down and the average time the truck took to come to a stop.
In addition, there could be more details such as the hazards on the road, the road conditions and the nature of accident that took place. All these details will come a long way to prove whether the driver took part in the accident or if the accident was beyond his control. The black box data recorder is one of the most important features of the GPS tracking system that is a good source of information regarding the driver’s behavior.
GPS Tracking Devices Can Offer History Of The Driver’s Behavior A Moment Before The Accident.
This is one of the most important aspects of the case. If your driver was over speeding, over wrapping carelessly or otherwise driving in a manner that show destructed driving, GPS will give these details in dept. This can be a brutal case at the court. In some other cases, drivers are honest and hardworking men and women of integrity but someone may take the opportunity of an accident in hopes of a lottery by lawsuits. In such a case, GPS can provide valuable details that can otherwise save their case in court.
Black boxes have become small and more powerful. The information stored there is useful and less likely to be interfered with. It includes airbag deployment times; apply of brakes, whether the seat belts were worn, engine speed, adjust position, the steering wheel angle and many more. Black box stores the data up to 20 seconds around the time of the crush. However, the recording length can increase and include more identifying information.
Getting the information from the black box requires professional skills. The CDR system plugs into the diagnostics board under the dashboard on the driver’s side. It then transfers the information to a special computer program. In the USA, the NHTSA and law enforcement have a way of retrieving the information from the black box either directly or through specialized third party.
GPS Tracking For Fleet Litigation Can Help Verify The Number Of Hours The Driver Had Behind The Wheel
One of the leading causes of fatal accidents is the prolonged number of hours that the specific driver had behind the wheel. If the driver had more hours in the wheel, he may get sleepy or even be overworked. However, it is difficult to deduce the real number of hours the driver was in the seat before the occurrence of an accident. However, with GPS fleet tracking, you can have real time information on the time, location, speed and the distance traveled. This information is relevant in the court to prove that the driver was not in violation of any state or federal regulations in the USA regarding to the miles and the number of hours that the driver spent behind the wheel.
It Gives On Time Details Of The Accident For Truck Accident Litigation Cases
When a car is involved in a head-on collision, dozens of sensors take real time snapshots of every aspect of the vehicle, condition of the road and how the accident occurred. Sometimes back, it was very difficult to retrieve such data using manual methods. However, with the introduction of GPS fleet tracking systems, the work is made easier. Now the police have a mechanism of retrieving all the information stored on your car’s GPS in a matter of minutes.
Device called Crash Cube can be placed alongside the GPS car tracking device to provide exact information on how the collision occurred. Police can then use the GPS to get the record of the speed, the turn speed, cases of reckless driving and other important data. The police can also be able to know whether at the time of the accident the driver was speaking on their handset or if the incidence was just caused by a mechanical failure.
The devices work by using the information that a vehicle generates automatically when a fault is detected. In simple terms, when the vehicle is over speeding or in case of a headlight smashing in a car will automatically trigger a snapshot of dozens of sensors across the car. The snapshots will provide clear details of the occurrence which can be used in a court of law.
The USA government is also working on a proposal to mandatory install black boxes in every car. The black box will be a good device to monitor the steering angle, the speed and the braking at the time of the accident. If the accident is detected, the device stores all the relevant details about 20 seconds before the incident.
GPS Fleet Tracking Automatically Connects The Driver To The Call Center In Case Of An Accident
In many ways, the GPS car tracking device can act like a black box for trucks. The black box can be able to sense an accident and automatically report the instance to the call center for prompt rescue. It can also act as a tracker and be activated from time to time to monitor the progress of the service. This means that police will be able to locate every car at on the road.
The GPS telematics feature can be very useful in the case an accident occurred and the driver cannot communicate. The vehicle telematics system has a 3rd party sender call 911 on which it activates when the system sense certain trouble scenarios including a car crush or other form of accidents. The information would result in suitable respondents being transmitted to the site of the accident even if the person in the site was completely insensitive. However, this system is uncommon in the US and it is not used widely.
Event data recorders are fitted inside the control module or even placed anywhere inside the car. It determines when to deploy the airbag based upon the severity of the accident. The data from the sensors is also stored in the Event Data Recorder for use in case the management wants to get clear details about the accident.
The Use Of Trip Recorders And EOBR’s In Truck Accident Litigation
These devices track and record all the relevant details regarding the driver’s activities in a matter of seconds. The devices are customized to tell the difference between not driving, on duty and sleeper mooring time only by the driver keying in the codes. They also provide clear details of when the truck was in motion or stationary. If it was in motion, it also determines and records the speed of the vehicle and how the driver responded to slow or even stop the truck. They offer an alternative to the paper logs.
GPS Fleet Tracking Software Can Help You Keep Digital Records For Years
The other important aspect of a GPS fleet tracking systems is that the system can help you record and keep digital records for years. You don’t have to worry about losing valuable data. It can help you get all the relevant information to defend your case in court. Even if the case is filed years after the accident, the information will still be available. You can actually consider GPS fleet tracking devices from GPS Leaders through their website www.gpsleaders.com as an investment in protecting your company’s long term financial interests.