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MARSHALL, Michigan (CNN) -- Drivers of passenger cars who tangle with big rigs are likely to lose. But some truckers now have access to radar technology that lowers the odds of a highway accident.

According to the federal government, more than 5,000 people died in accidents involving trucks between 1994 and 1996, about 3,000 more than in the first four years of the decade.

Accidents involving trucks often are caused by drivers of passenger vehicles who either drive in a truck's considerable blind spot or simply don't give truckers enough room to slow down safely, says Don Willcutt of the Michigan Truck Safety Commission. ( 170 K/7 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

Enter VORAD and SmartCruise, a pair of collision-avoidance systems made by Eaton Automotive. Both use radar technology to help drivers keep a safe distance from others on the road.

VORAD

By sounding an alarm, VORAD alerts drivers as much as three seconds in advance to the potential hazards that are the root cause of accidents:

• Stopped or slow-moving vehicles ahead.
• Cars following too closely.
• Vehicles traveling in a truck's blind spot.

With patented radar technology, SmartCruise allows an equipped vehicle operating in cruise control to automatically establish and maintain an appropriate following distance behind other vehicles.

When no lead vehicle is present, the system operates like normal cruise control.

RELATED VIDEO
CNN's Ed Garsten demonstrates the radar
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SmartCruise can be configured to give a visual warning and a sound alert indicating that the vehicle is getting too close to slower traffic ahead, says Eaton Vice President Don Purtill. ( 264 K/12 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

According to the federal government, nine out of 10 accidents involve driver error. Often, the driver isn't aware of a hazardous situation until it's too late.

While the government isn't ready to mandate the use of systems like VORAD, it says accidents could be cut by 50 percent through their use.

VORAD and SmartCruise together cost about $3,000, which is a considerable expense for an owner of a large fleet of trucks.

But Dale Kass of D&M Transportation says he considers it a price worth paying. "Anything I could do to save lives," he said.