January 07, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/
-- When a truck crash happens, rarely is the accident merely a
fender-bender. Most of these collisions result in major damage to
smaller vehicles, as well as serious injuries to drivers of those
vehicles. Furthermore, a large number of these crashes are completely
preventable and are the result of risks that are well known to the
trucking industry. State and federal government officials who are
charged with regulating truck safety have not been as proactive as
they should have been over the past two decades with regard to
addressing these known risks.
The result is a lot of
unnecessary preventable death and mayhem on our highways. The
National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA)
report that approximately 5,000 people each year die as a result of a
trucking accident, which is equal to the number of people who would
die in 26 major plane crashes. The American public would never stand
for it if the Aviation Industry caused so many deaths, but for some
reason, it has always been "acceptable" for the Trucking
Industry to kill thousands of people. According to the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the federal agency that
oversees the trucking industry, these truck crashes and accidents
cost roughly $19 billion each year.
NHTSA numbers also show
that commercial trucks only make up 4 percent of all registered
vehicles, yet are responsible for 11 percent of all fatal accidents.
Because these accidents are so catastrophic and cause so much damage,
regulators should have a real sense of urgency in improving safety
regulations that govern the use of trucks on our highways and in
enforcing the law. Every day, more people are killed in preventable
truck crashes because of inadequate regulations and lax regulation
enforcement.
One of the main reasons for the severity of these
crashes and accidents is simply the large size of the 18-wheelers.
Truck drivers do not have the maneuverability or ability to stop that
is possible in smaller vehicles. Many of these trucks weigh 80,000
pounds, some even more than that. A truck carrying that much weight
will require a lot of distance to be able to come to a complete stop.
Also, if the truck tries to stop too quickly or makes an evasive turn
that's too sharp, the load could shift, causing a rollover. The large
disparity in mass between a large truck and a smaller vehicle, from a
physics standpoint, means that when a crash occurs the "change
in velocity" (or "Delta V") is almost all transferred
to the smaller vehicle. This is what results in the catastrophic
injuries and deaths that are so common in the trucking industry.
The FMCSA is in the process of implementing new safety rules
that will roll out in 2011. Drivers and motor carriers are expected
to be held more accountable for violations of these rules. Factors
that cause many accidents, such as fatigue, excessive driving time,
speeding or distracted driving, are supposed to receive additional
emphasis under this new program. One of the biggest problems with
enforcement of the hours of service rules has been that there is no
effective way for roadside enforcement officers to check the true
hours driven since driver falsification of their driving logs is so
rampant in the industry. This problem could be eliminated almost
overnight if the FMCSA would simply require motor carriers to use the
technology that currently exists, but strong industry pressure has
kept such regulations from being implemented. The FMCSA should
immediately pass a regulation that requires all motor carriers to
utilize Electronic On Board Recording Devices (EOBRs) on all of their
equipment.
Even with these additional safeguards in place, all
drivers need to be alert to protect themselves from any potential
accident. If you or someone you know has been injured in a trucking
accident, discussing your case with an experienced attorney can help
you make sure that your rights are protected, and that the
appropriate parties are held accountable.
Article provided by
Dollar, Burns & Becker, L.C.
