"We believe that tax credits will accelerate the availability of important safety-enhancing technologies to heavy vehicle operators and fleets," said Ann Wilson, MEMA’s vice president of government affairs.
The legislation, H.R. H.R. 3820, which was introduced by Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Congressman Ron Lewis (R-Kent.), Congressman Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Congressman Sander Levin (D-Mich.), Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) and Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) will offer heavy duty vehicle owners a wider range of safety equipment that will meet their fleet’s specific needs.
According to the Department of Transportation, there were over 5,000 individuals killed and 114,000 injured on our nation’s highways in accidents involving heavy duty vehicles in 2005. A 2006 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that rear end collisions, side swipe accidents, running off the road or out of the lane and brake problems account for over 60 percent of the total large vehicle accidents.
Wilson highlights that heavy duty vehicle suppliers are manufacturing technologies that will address these specific types of accidents including collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, vehicle stability systems and brake stroke monitoring systems.
