It is hoped that this new system of recording and sharing crash data and following up with targeted enforcement will lead to further reductions in the number and frequency of truck accidents across the country. The goal is to focus enforcement on the most important aspects of truck operation. Under CSA, these are defined as Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):

• Unsafe Driving
• Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service violations)
• Driver Fitness, including training and general health
• Use of drugs or alcohol
• Vehicle Maintenance
• Cargo-Related
• Crash Indicator

These factors are identified by the state-level inspectors, but enforcement is carried out at a Federal and state level, and identified deficiencies are followed up by targeted enforcement. Consider the case of a Maryland truck accident in which a speeding driver performs an improper lane change, causing his improperly secured load to spill, which led to a number of accidents. Under the old system, the focus was on the carrier, who would be cited for fines, but would mostly be treated in the same way as before. If the motor carrier then fired the driver, he could be hired on at a new motor carrier, and any crash he caused in his new position would be linked with the new carrier, not the driver.

Under CSA the data from this Maryland truck accident would be linked to both the driver and the carrier as applicable, and the carrier and driver would be flagged for targeted follow-up. The carrier’s vehicles would undergo increased scrutiny for cargo securement, no matter where in the country the inspection was performed. The driver’s data would remain linked with the driver and would be made available to the driver’s current employer and any future employers.

By linking violations and following up with appropriate, targeted enforcement the system hopes to continue to reduce the frequency of truck accidents nationwide. As a side benefit, the system removes time-consuming comprehensive inspections for motor carriers that follow the rules. This will save resources for the states, the federal government, and for motor carriers. Finally, by identifying dangerous drivers and linking them to their violations, the system provides a powerful evaluation tool for motor carriers to evaluate present and future drivers.

The system is slated for nationwide implementation this summer.

So part of the responsibility for preventing truck accidents is on the shoulders of other drivers. It is not an onerous weight however, because most of the things we can do to avoid being in any truck accident are things we should be doing anyway for the sake of safe and courteous driving.

1.) Stay out of the truck driver’s large blind spots. A big rig has four blind spots much bigger than those of a small vehicle, one on each side of the truck. Because the trucker is seated so high relative to other drivers, he needs you to be further away from him to be visible. The general rule is that if you cannot see the trucker directly or in one of his mirrors, he cannot see you, and though you can obviously see his vehicle, he cannot see yours.

2.) Never dart in front of a big rig. You may suddenly realize your exit is coming right up, but if there is an 18-wheeler blocking your access to the exit lane, slow down and let it pass rather than speeding up and darting in front of it to make the exit. If you misjudge the time you have in that maneuver, the truck may well be unable to slow down for you to cross in front of it. In such a collision, the smaller vehicle always fares worst and truck accident injuries tend to be more severe than those of other accidents

3.) Change lanes if you see a big rig speeding down the hill behind you. Never assume that it will slow down before hitting your vehicle. Sometimes, on a downhill grade, the truck’s massive weight overpowers the driver’s ability to stay within the speed limit. Or in some cases there is a mechanical failure that prevents the driver from braking effectively. You might also want to use your horn to alert other drivers further down the hill. In mountainous areas there are always extra truck lanes running uphill next to the downhill highway and a good trucker can always steer into one of these lanes to stop his vehicle. In the flatter areas such as are found in mid-western states like Missouri and Kansas, visibility and safety can be greater.

4.) Always allow a trucker to change lanes if you see him signaling. Again, because of the truck’s size and weight, the driver needs extra time and distance to change lanes and cannot do it impulsively, as so many small vehicles do. It is good driving courtesy to stay out of the trucker’s way and allow him to get his behemoth to where he needs it to be. He may be preparing to exit and needs to start early so as to be ready when the exit comes up. Or he may be behind schedule and wanting to get into the fast lane and be off to his next drop-off point. There is no benefit to getting in his way.

Truck accidents are increasing as the number of 18-wheelers increases. As a passenger car, SUV, or light truck driver, you will almost certainly sustain severe injury should you be involved in a truck accident. Typically, a person injured in a truck accident needs an attorney to fight for their full and fair compensation to cover medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Truck accident personal injury cases can be complex and time-consuming. There may be a lot of discovery required, to examine the trucker’s log book, ascertain facts about his driving qualifications, delivery schedule and job history, about the truck’s load and maintenance, about your emergency medical care and injury complexities, and many other factors.

If you are in the area of Kansas City, St. Louis, or Jefferson City in Missouri and have indeed been injured in a truck accident, you will be well-served by the Bradley Law Firm, where attorneys are highly experienced in litigating truck accidents and can fight to obtain fair compensation for you.

• Over 23.2% of trucks inspected had mechanical defects
• Driver fatigue accounts for many of the truck crashes

When a truck hits a passenger car the resulting damage can be horrific and the injuries sustained by the occupants of the car often fatal.

There are many reasons why collisions occur between large trucks and cars. It can be as simple as negligence and poor driving on behalf of the truck driver or one of many other factors such as the truck driver being tired, trying to meet unrealistic schedules, aggressive driving, using a mobile phone while driving, poor maintenance of tires, brakes or lights.

A large truck is any vehicle over 10,000 pounds in weight and as such it is governed by specific rules and regulations. All truck drivers must get a commercial truck license and are subject to drug and alcohol tests in a limited capacity.

Truck accidents have increased over the last 10 to 15 years mainly due to driver fatigue, the carrying of unsafe loads and dangerous vehicle operation. Truck crashes caused by tired drivers have become such a concern that regulations were brought in to limit the number of hours that drivers can be on the road. These rules have helped reduce the number of truck accidents but it still thought that between 20 and 40% of truck crashes are caused by driver fatigue. Alcohol and drugs are also involved in many of the fatal truck crashes.

Trucks going above the allowed speed limit of 55 mph are much more likely to jack knife or roll over, causing serious accidents.

Large trucks have blind spots or ‘no-zones’ to the front, rear and sides of the vehicles. A truck driver cannot see a car in these spots and may turn right into the car. Accidents can also occur if trucks are following other vehicles too closely as a large truck requires forty percent more room to stop than an normal passenger car.

Out of an inspection of 2 million trucks on the roadside a massive 23.2% were found to have serious defects. This is a leading cause of truck accidents.

Occupants of cars involved in collisions are at high risk of serious injury if not death. For legal information on claiming for injuries caused by a truck accident you can click here to visit the website of the Barber Law Firm of Dallas, Texas.

]]> http://truckaccidentattorneys.org/collisions-with-trucks-lead-to-serious-if-not-fatal-injuries/feed/ 0 http://truckaccidentattorneys.org/unsecured-equipment-truck-accidents/ http://truckaccidentattorneys.org/unsecured-equipment-truck-accidents/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:53:51 +0000 admin http://truckaccidentattorneys.org/?p=80 The trucking industry, in the United States, accounts for the majority of transportation of goods -with trucking companies earning over $125 billion per year. Literally thousands of trucks travel U.S. roadways, both commercially and recreationally. But, unfortunately, as more and more trucks enter the roadway population, the risks for serious accidents are increasing. With the increase of large tractor-trailer rigs, those that are involved in truck crushes can have a devastating effect and the costs can be considerable.

In fact, major trucking accidents are becoming an epidemic which is increasingly affecting other motorists, passengers and the truck drivers, themselves. Fatalities are unusually high with 1 out of every 9 fatal traffic accidents involving at least one truck for a total of about 5,000 deadly truck-related accidents annually. Some of these accidents are among the most dangerous types of truck accident scenarios involving jack-knife, under-ride and unsecured equipment incidents.

An unsecured equipment accident can occur when all or any part of a truck’s load becomes detached and enters the roadway. These items can include goods, parts, materials or any other items that falls off of a truck due to a problem with the equipment used to secure the load or improper securing of that load. Even at slower speeds, an article that becomes detached from a truck can have deadly results. From a beam of lumber that can instantly kill a motorist to a piece of cloth than can temporarily obstruct a motorist’s view – can both have the same devastating effects. The causes of these accidents can come from several issues:

• Improperly maintained trucks, which can lead to parts breaking or falling off
• Loads that are  improperly secured, which can become loose when subject to the jarring effects of a less than smooth highway surface
• Various types of debris that can fall out of a truck
• Loads that are not properly balanced, on the bed of the truck, or loads that can shift due to improper security
• Unsafe, uninspected vehicles in which parts are not properly secured
• Loads that are not properly covered or covering made from defective materials

Any of these conditions can lead to a situation where a potentially deadly item may act as a missile in relation to vehicles travelling behind the truck at fault.

Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal advice.

You can find further detailed information on unsecured load accidents,  by contacting Dallas trucking injury lawyers Todd Elias and Steven J. Gordon – located in Houston, Texas.

Legislators and trucking companies have tried to address roadway safety.  These oversized trucks have caused many accidents.  The horrible problem just repeats itself time and time again.  People are lucky to come out of a trucking accident alive let alone with injuries that have been sustained.  The consequences to the victim are very substantial.  Many people never fully recover from their injuries if they do make it out alive.

Many accidents occurred during times of intoxication, error, fatigue, loads that are too large, equipment failure, fatigue, not following standards, traffic violations, dangerous cargo, and delivery times that are unreasonable.  There are more people at fault than just the drivers.  Some people load trucks too full, delivery times should not be so unreasonable, along with many other factors.  The roads need to be safer for everyday commuters.