The shortage of truck drivers after the COVID-19 pandemic has been a problem in the freight industry. Due to that, support for introducing automatic vehicles has gained momentum. It seems that automatic trucks are our future, and it is only a matter of time before we start seeing these vehicles on the highway. That is why people ask questions about how automatic trucks affect road safety and the opportunities for employment of existing human drivers. Get help today if you are involved in a truck accident involving an automatic truck.
Are automatic trucks safe for highways?
The records of highway accidents in the trucking industry will depict trucks as having always been posing a threat to vehicles on the road. Whether the introduction of automatic trucks will be safer or not is one of the big questions.
There should be a purpose if the automatic trucks are operating on the highway. There can be several purposes-
1. Increase in efficiency
There is a higher level of competition in the trucking transportation industry. The pursuit of quicker delivery is one of the most significant reasons for truck accidents.
By operating an automatic truck, deliveries can be performed quickly, removing the time needed for rest by the drivers along the way.
2. Reduction in truck accidents
Due to human fatigue and error, most truck accidents occur. With the introduction of automatic trucks, it will become a thing of the past. Once they are programmed accurately, they are able t choose the safest path for completing the driving task.
The accidents caused due to automatic trucks are still highly debatable, stating that artificial technology companies do not have the required level of technology to make such trucks that can be totally safe.
3. Addressing the changing labor market
Truck driving is a form of labor-intensive job. In developed countries, people are shifting away from labor-intensive jobs and opting for low-labor jobs. The result of this changing job industry is that even though human capital is available, there is very low interest in taking up truck driving jobs.
4. Reducing traffic congestion
You might have got into traffic jams due to big trucks getting into an accident blocking all the way behind. An automatic truck can reduce such accidents, and using the most accurate GPS, they can navigate and take turns more precisely.