Truck accidents

COVID-19 Causes Government to Suspend Truck Driver Safety Rules

April 23, 2020 | Timothy Collins

white-volvo-semi-truck-on-side-of-road-2199293-1024x684 In response to the nationwide COVID-19 outbreak, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an emergency declaration on March 13, 2020, increasing the hours commercial vehicle drivers can be on the road without taking a break and providing certain other relief for these drivers transporting emergency relief items. The emergency declaration was expanded on April 8, 2020, and will remain in effect at least through May 15, 2020.

The FMCSA is an agency of the federal government responsible for regulating and providing oversight of commercial motor vehicles in order to reduce injuries, crashes, and deaths involving large trucks and buses. These vehicles typically exceed 10,000 pounds.

Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Regulations), a commercial motor vehicle driver is only allowed to drive a total of 11 hours during a period of 14 consecutive hours and cannot drive after the end of the 14 consecutive hour period without first taking 10 consecutive hours off. These restrictions are in place to enhance the safety of the driver and other motorists on the road by making sure drivers are getting adequate rest before operating these large vehicles. Fatigue is a major factor linked to commercial vehicle accidents. Fatigued drivers are increasingly likely to suffer a loss of attentiveness, slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and a likelihood of falling asleep.

Federal Government Relaxes Safety Rules for Trucking Companies

March 29, 2020 | John Risvold

Truck-cars-road-vehicles-sky-172074-2-1024x683 Truckers and shipping companies are racing to meet demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is understandable, but it is important that meeting demand does not come at the expense of your safety.

Despite The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) best efforts in implementing rules and regulations to avoid accidents and improve driver/vehicle safety, there’s been a 20% increase in the number of commercial truck accidents over the past decade. Thirteen percent of these crashes were directly related to driver fatigue.

In spite of the increase in crashes involving driver fatigue, FSMCA has recently issued an EXPANDED EMERGENCY DECLARATION which suspends the requirement that drivers limit their hours of service. The suspension went into effect on March 13 and will continue until the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. That means for truckers and shipping companies who transport food, medical supplies, and items related to community safety, there are no limits to the hours a driver can go without rest.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

December 5, 2019 | John Risvold

autobahn-837643_1920-300x194 Some of the most deadly and dangerous accidents on the roads are caused by large commercial trucks. A shocking number of people– 4,102 total– died in large truck crashes in 2017. Many of these truck wrecks could have been prevented if drivers, shippers, and operators addressed some of the common causes of truck accidents and worked to fix them. The most common causes of truck crashes include:

Speeding and Driving too Fast for Conditions

Shippers promise fast delivery, often guaranteeing overnight or same-day delivery for packages. And consumers now expect packages to be delivered quickly, which is why Amazon Prime’s two-day delivery guarantee is so popular. With promises of fast delivery come pressure on drivers to drive faster despite road conditions or traffic conditions. This can lead to an increase in accidents.

Side Guards Prevent Fatal Accidents: So, Why Aren’t They Mandatory for Trucks?

September 4, 2019 | Shawn Collins

transportation-system-3179313_1920-300x200 Some of the scariest moments on the road occur when a tractor-trailer suddenly decides to pull into your lane, oblivious to the fact that you are in the way, or turns in front of you, unaware that your car is there. At that moment, you realize that the truck is not going to stop because they can’t see you. Usually, you are able to slow down or move into another lane to avoid injury, but for some motorists this situation becomes deadly.

Side underride collisions happen when a car crashes into the side of a tractor-trailer, and the force of the crash propels the car underneath the truck. These kinds of truck accidents are especially dangerous because the truck can sheer off the top of the car and kill the occupants. Usually, these side underride collisions occur at night, when a truck is trying to cross or turn onto a street or highway. But they can also occur when a truck suddenly moves into a different lane, trapping a car under the body of the truck. Unfortunately, these side underride accidents–where a car ends up wedged underneath a truck– can be deadly even at low speeds.

In fact, several hundred people die each year when their cars lodge under tractor-trailers from the side, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is unacceptable, especially when you realize that most of these accidents could be avoided if trucks were equipped with side guards: panels placed around the lower part of a truck’s trailer. Side guards would prevent cars from sliding under the body of the truck, protecting the driver and passengers. So why aren’t trucks equipped with these potentially life-saving side guards? Because the government, so far, has not required it.

With Fatal Truck Crashes on the Rise, Learn How to Protect Yourself

March 13, 2019 | John Risvold

semi-trailers-534577_1920-300x225 Fatal truck wrecks across the United States are increasing at a rate almost three times that of deadly crashes overall. Among the most dangerous and deadly are rear-end truck crashes. While big trucks collide with cars in a variety of ways, experts say these types of wrecks are among the most devastating and yet perhaps the easiest to prevent with technology. Unfortunately, semi-trucks across the country are not equipped with the latest, and best, crash prevention technology.

In 2016 alone, more than 4,300 people were killed in collisions with semis and other large trucks. That represents a 28 percent increase over 2009, according to the federal government. To put this in perspective, this is equal to a 737 airplane crashing twice a month, killing everyone on board. In Illinois there was a 26% increase in fatal crashes involving large trucks, like semi-trucks, in 2016. So far, in 2019, 15% of all fatal crashes involved a semi or other large truck.

One of the major reasons why deadly truck crashes continue to increase is the lack of crash avoidance technology being using in trucks. While crash avoidance systems are becoming common in new cars, they are rarely, if ever, used in big trucks. The auto industry has promised that this safety equipment will be standard on all new passenger vehicles sold in the United States by the year 2020, but makers of heavy trucks have not made a similar commitment. The result is that only a small fraction of semis on the road today have collision avoidance technology.