Study Reveals Increase in Truck-Related Deaths
Posted by admin on 12.15.2011
Recently, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration released a report showing a significant increase in truck deaths, despite an overall decrease in highway fatalities. The report will likely influence Congressional debate over trucking safety measures.
According to the study, in 2010 truck deaths rose 8.7% to 3,675 fatalities from accidents caused by large trucks. The statistics are particularly startling in light of the fact that truck deaths have been on the decline in the past 10 years: 2009 saw 45% fewer truck-related deaths than 1999, even though 3 million more trucks were on the road. Some attribute the sudden jump in fatalities to excessively lax limits on truckers’ hours. Currently, truckers can be on the road for 11 hours at a time and on-duty for 14 hours a day.
Though the overall drop in highway deaths is certainly a step forward for highway safety, the increase in truck-related accidents is still a disturbing trend. If you have been affected by a negligent truck driver, contact the McMinn Law Firm today.
Texas DPS Taking Unsafe Trucks and Drivers Off the Roads
Posted by admin on 11.23.2011
The Texas Department of Public Safety has removed more than 66,000 unsafe trucks and more than 12,000 unsafe commercial drivers from Texas roads since the start of 2011. The program, Operation Texas Thunder, is cracking down on vehicles and drivers that shouldn’t be on the road in an effort to reduce accidents and improve overall safety.
According to DPS officials, commercial vehicles are responsible for 15 percent of Texas crash fatalities and they believe the program has already saved countless lives.
Statistics:
- 331,505 inspections performed by the Highway Patrol
- 66,189 commercial vehicles removed for safety violations
- 12,301 drivers removed for safety, license violations
Accidents involving commercial vehicles often result in fatalities or severe injuries due to their size and weight. If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact the McMinn Law Firm for a free case review.
Report Released on Fatal Truck Accident
Posted by admin on 09.21.2011
Any Austinite who drives on I-35 knows how dangerous 18-wheelers can be. Semi-trucks cause half a million wrecks in the United States every year, and thousands of those end in serious injuries and fatalities.
Just over a year ago, there was a devastating crash involving a truck killed 11 people in Louisville, Kentucky. Recently the National Transportation Safety Board released a report detailing the events that led up to the crash. The driver, who died at the scene, had just made a phone call one second before swerving across the median and striking a van head-on. According to phone records, the driver had also been sending and receiving text messages in the hours before the wreck.
The tragedy spurred an investigation into the company that the driver worked for, Hester, Inc., which found several violations of trucking safety laws, including instances of driving for over 11 hours straight and shifts longer than 15 hours. Investigators believe that the truck driver’s drowsiness was a factor in the crash.
Trucks making their way through the greater Austin area can pose a threat to drivers if they engage in dangerous, risky driving practices. If you have been the victim of a truck accident, contact McMinn Law today.
8000 Commercial Vehicles Inspected in Roadcheck 2011
Posted by admin on 06.27.2011
If you’ve been noticing fewer commercial vehicles on the road in the past week or so, it hasn’t just been in your head. The annual Roadcheck 72-hour commercial vehicle inspection process placed about 2000 vehicles in Texas out of service.
Roadcheck is a nationwide initiative aimed at boosting roadway safety by taking unfit commercial vehicles off the road. Texas DPS officials, police officers, and various other inspectors performed almost 8000 inspections on commercial vehicles, looking for missing lights, problems with brakes and tires, un-logged driving hours, expired licenses, and various other infractions.
Over a quarter of the inspected vehicles were placed out of service due to an issue with the vehicle that required repairs; 212 more drivers were suspended for various other reasons unrelated to their vehicle itself. Only four drivers were suspended due to alcohol or drug use.
Drivers in Texas are used to seeing 18-wheelers on almost every highway, and the statistics from Roadcheck 2011 serve as a sobering reminder that the trucks can be dangerous. What do you think of the Roadcheck inspection results? Should commercial vehicles undergo more frequent inspections?
