Commercial motor vehicle drivers, especially truck drivers, in West Virginia should know that a bill has been introduced that may require them to have automatic emergency braking on their vehicles. Lawmakers proposed the Safe Roads Act of 2019 (H.R. 3773) on July 16, 2019, after being prompted by the Truck Safety Coalition, a safety nonprofit.

If passed, the Act would direct the Secretary of Transportation to mandate AEB installation and use on CMVs old and new. The AEB feature costs around $500. Supporters from the Truck Safety Coalition, many of whom lost loved ones in CMV crashes, say that this simple installation can help save countless lives.

This is not all that the Truck Safety Coalition has been advocating. Two of the representatives who introduced H.R. 3773 also proposed a bill called the INSURANCE Act at the coalition’s behest. This bill would require periodic adjustments to motor carriers’ minimum insurance requirements based on the inflation rate of medical expenses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics determines this inflation rate.

The Truck Safety Coalition is also pushing for mandatory use of speed limiters, a device that’s already available on most trucks. In addition, the organization is calling for front and side guards to be installed on all CMVs. These barriers can prevent cars from riding under CMVs.

Ride-unders are just one type of accident that can occur between a large truck and a passenger vehicle. Occupants of the latter may be severely injured, assuming that they survive. However, they may seek compensation for their economic and noneconomic damages. It comes down to filing a claim against the trucking company. With a lawyer and his or her team of investigators, victims may show just how the trucker was negligent and then proceed to settlement negotiations.