Fatal truck crashes becoming a common occurrence

There were 3,921 fatalities and 104,000 injuries from truck crashes in 2012, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That’s over ten fatal crashes and over 284 injuries a day. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that fatal truck crashes were up over 18% between 2009 and 2012, although the annual distance trucks travel on the highway is down 2.67% and the number of trucks is down 2.86%.

A recent story by NBC News talked about the surge in truck accidents and lack of public outcry. Fatal truck accidents are all too common, averaging nearly 11 times every single day in this country, killing nearly 4,000 people each year, and injuring more than 100,000, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The NBC report likened those numbers to a commuter jet crashing every single week of the year, […]

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Trucker Falsified Logbook in Fatal I-55 Chain Reaction Crash

A tractor-trailer driver that was involved in a chain-reaction crash that left four people dead and four others injured last month is being held on $1 million bail and was charged with falsifying a logbook and willful violation of a logbook. He was also cited for speeding.

According to Illinois State Police, the driver was not following posted construction site speed limit signs when he slammed into a car causing a chain reaction crash involving three vehicles and another tractor-trailer.

The truck crashed into the vehicles that were stopped in traffic in a construction zone at 2:17 p.m. the driver stated that he started work around 6-6:30 a.m., when he actually started work at about 2:30 a.m., meaning that he had been behind the wheel of his semi for almost 12 hours when the accident occurred. It was reported that witnesses at the scene said the truck failed to slow down for the stopped vehicles. […]

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Three tractor trailers collide in deadly crash on I-80

Three tractor-trailers were involved in a crash that left one of the drivers dead last week on Interstate 80 near Bloomsburg, PA. Traffic was stopped while drivers were merging into the right lane due to nearby construction when the crash occurred. The truck driver who was killed in the crash on I-80 failed to stop in time and smashed into a UPS freight truck that was stopped in front of him, causing that truck to crash into another truck.

Many people feel intimidated when sharing the highway with large tractor-trailers, and there is good reason to worry. When driving on the highway you are at a serious disadvantage if involved in a crash with a large truck. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, in crashes involving large trucks, the occupants of a car, usually the driver, sustain 78 percent of the fatalities. […]

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Electronic logbooks to help reduce truck accidents

Although there are federal mandates to limit the number of hours truck drivers are permitted to work on a daily and also a weekly basis, fatigued driving continues to be a major problem among truck drivers and a principal cause of truck accidents. According to the website saferoads.org, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that more than 750 people die and 20,000 more are injured each year due directly to fatigued commercial vehicle drivers.

Commercial drivers are currently required to track their hours of driving in logbooks, which they keep in their trucks and hand in to employers. However, many drivers violate the hours of service rules for driving, and even report incorrect hours in their driver logbooks. As a result, and in an effort to enhance safety, the FMCSA is proposing a change to its rules concerning trucker logs. […]

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Tracy Morgan Sues Walmart of Deadly Truck Crash putting focus on lack of sleep among truck drivers

Comedian Tracy Morgan has field a lawsuit against Walmart, in which he claims the company was negligent when a driver a driver of one of its tractor-trailers rammed into Morgan’s limousine van.

The lawsuit claims that Walmart should have know that its driver had been awake for more than 24 hours and that his commute of 700 miles form his home in Georgia to work in Delaware was unreasonable. It also alleges the driver fell asleep at the wheel.

The lawsuit states, “as a result of Walmart’s gross, reckless, willful, wanton, and intentional conduct, it should be appropriately punished with the imposition of punitive damages.”

A former Saturday Night Live star, Morgan was recently released from a rehab facility where he had been recovering from serious injuries he suffered in the wreck that left fellow comedian James McNair dead. According to CNN, […]

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