More than 100,000 tanker trucks are filled with loads each day in the U.S. Each tanker truck is more susceptible to rollover accidents because of the dramatic shift in the liquid when the truck makes a sudden move.
In October of last year, a tanker truck carrying propane lost control in Indianapolis, hit the guardrail and exploded into a fireball that was visible for miles. Five people, including the truck driver, were injured in the October truck accident.
The Indianapolis accident has prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to open an investigation into the safety of Hazmat tanker trucks. According to CBS News, there are more than 1,265 accidents each year involving tanker rollovers.
The investigation is especially important for the safety of America's roadways. Tanker trucks usually carry highly explosive material that can harm the tanker's driver and other drivers on the road during a serious rollover accident.
The NTSB is trying to determine whether electronic stability systems would prevent tanker rollovers. The stability system would automatically recognize when the load is shifting and apply the brakes to compensate for the instability.
Critics of the stability system, including the president of the National Tank Truck Carriers organization, say that the system is not practical and is not the only option to prevent tankers from rollovers.
While many new tankers are outfitted with the electronic stability system, tractor trailers that pull tankers are not usually equipped with the system. The NTSB held public hearings in early August 2010 to discuss the safety of tanker trucks and will likely release the results of the probe later this fall.
