In spite of federal regulations prohibiting drivers from driving beyond the Hours of Service, truck driver fatigue continues to be a major factor in truck accidents in Texas.
It has proved challenging to crack down on drivers who continue to operate their massive 18 wheelers even when they are in a tired state. There are no tests to measure how sleepy or tired a truck driver was during an accident, while alcohol and drug tests can easily reveal whether the driver was impaired while driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is in the process of reviewing the Hours of Service rules for truck drivers. There is an urgent need for such review, and for revising these rules. According to a study by the National Transportation Safety Board, out of 107 single vehicle truck accidents that were studied, 52% were the result of driver fatigue.
The trucking industry heavily supports the current rules that allow drivers to drive for a maximum of 11 hours in a 14-hour window, compared to the earlier 10 hours. That rule needs to be revised, but there are other things that the federal administration and state agencies can do to reduce the risk of truck accidents. One major step forward would be to create more numbers of rest areas and truck stop facilities for truck drivers to rest when they are tired. Truck stops around Texas have been disappearing at an alarming rate, and when truckers don’t have a place to rest, they choose to simply drive on, with often tragic consequences.
No one can deny that the number of truck fatalities nationwide has been declining over the past two years. The number of deaths dropped to just above 4,200 in 2009, from about 5,200 in 2005. However, 4200 deaths every year means the equivalent of a devastating plane crash every week. We wouldn’t be sitting by if a plane crashed in the US every week, and there’s no reason why we should tolerate these many truck accident and fatalities either.
Houston truck accident lawyer Vuk Vujasinovic is a Board Certified Trial Lawyer representing victims of auto/truck/motorcycle accidents, industrial and workplace accidents and defective products in Houston, Texas as well as throughout Texas and the United States.
To access valuable information about your Texas truck accident case, please click here and order your copy of the controversial book that insurance companies and trucking companies wish you wouldn’t read-The Insiders Guide to Winning Your Texas Truck Accident Case.
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Vuk Vujasinovic is a Board Certified Houston personal injury attorney who practices Houston auto accident and other personal injury cases.
For more info on how Vuk can help you with your potential case please call him at (877) 724-7800 or fill out the contact form on the right.
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