Truck Safety Issues
Los Angeles Truck Catastrophe Attorneys
Truck drivers must appreciate the size and weight of their trucks and not take risks that can cause serious injuries and death to other highway drivers.
At Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC, our experienced truck accident attorneys in California aggressively pursue claims against negligent truck drivers and companies. Contact us for a free initial consultation to discuss:
- Factors in large truck crashes
- Mexican trucks crossing the U.S. border
- Longer hours for truckers
Truck crash lawyer Ilyas Akbari measures part of the tractor-trailer involved in one of his cases, during a post-crash inspection.
By their nature, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) require more knowledge, training, skill, and care to operate safely than do passenger vehicles, in part because they are heavier, difficult to slow and stop, hard to maneuver, and require a special driver's license and qualifications. These factors also apply to the trucking companies (motor carriers) employing the drivers. They set the tone for either truck driver safety or an operation which cuts corners, ignores unsafe drivers, and looks the other way to avoid violations.
Truck Safety Organizations
Non-profit truck safety organizations such as The Truck Safety Coalition and Public Citizen, keep a very close watch on state and federal regulations affecting the trucking industry. These truck safety groups are very proactive in supporting good law, promoting truck safety, and fighting bad laws which make our roads and highways more dangerous.
The Truck Safety Coalition is a partnership between The Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) Foundation, and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T). The Truck Safety Coalition is dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes, providing compassionate support to truck crash survivors and families of truck crash victims, and educating the public, policy-makers and media about truck safety issues.
Some of our truck accident clients choose to get involved with the Truck Safety Coalition’s Survivors Network. This volunteer network is made up of compassionate and dedicated truck safety advocates. They come from different backgrounds and interests, but all share common goals:
- Provide support and information to truck crash victims and their families.
- Make our roads and highways safer for the general public.
Through this network, they plan to accomplish three major efforts:
- Provide immediate, compassionate support to survivors and families of victims of truck crashes through our First Response program.
- Educate the general public, the media, and state and federal officials on truck safety issues.
- Effectively fundraise in order to support the overall mission of reducing truck crash fatalities and injuries.
Stopbiggertrucks.org is sponsored by The Truck Safety Coalition. Their goal is to prevent dangerous and overweight trucks from being on our already compromised roads and bridges.
On average 4,000 people are killed in truck crashes annually and 100,000 more are injured. The annual cost of truck crashes exceeds $19 billion. In the past 10 years more than 48,000 people have needlessly died and over 1 million have been injured in truck crashes. In fatal 2-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck 98% of the deaths are occupants of the passenger vehicles. Adding even more weight to a big truck dramatically increases the risk of death and serious injury.
In the 2006 Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation ("DOT"), the following were among the top factors in large truck crashes:
- Speeding / traveling too fast for conditions
- Unfamiliarity with roadway or vehicle
- Driver fatigue
- Work-related pressure
- Inattention
- Aggressive driving behavior (tailgating, weaving, other)
- Brake failure
- Cargo shift
- Alcohol or drug use
Truckers Allowed to Drive Longer Hours
The 2005 Trucker Hours-of-Service Rule seems to counteract truck driver safety. It increases the amount of consecutive hours a trucker can drive and the hours he or she can drive weekly.
Believe it or not, U.S. legislators in 2005 approved a new law called the Trucker Hours-of-Service Rule, which we feel creates a more dangerous environment as it increases the amount of hours a trucker can drive without a break and the overall hours they can drive weekly.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Drivers may drive up to 11 hours in the 14-hour on-duty window after they come on duty following 10 or more consecutive hours off duty.
- The 14-hour on-duty window may not be extended with off-duty time for meal and fuel stops, etc.
- The prohibition on driving after being on duty 60 hours in 7 consecutive days, or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days, remains the same, but drivers can "restart" the 7/8 day period anytime a driver has 34 consecutive hours off duty.
- CMV drivers using the sleeper berth provision must take at least 8 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, plus 2 consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or any combination of the two.
Missing from the new rule is a much needed requirement to monitor actual truck driving hours by electronic onboard recorders which would allow for effective enforcement of the rule.
Contact an experienced California trucking accident lawyer at Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC for concerns regarding truck driver safety.