Self-Driving Trucks May Come Before Driverless Cars

Never mind self-driving cars – how do you feel about self-driving trucks?

We’ve been hearing a lot about self-driving cars, and the companies promising to roll them out over the next few years. But, if you can imagine it, self-driving trucks may come first.

If you think that sounds counter-intuitive, you’re not alone. Many in the trucking industry are skeptical, and some drivers are nervous – understandably so. We know as well as anyone that when something goes wrong with a car, it’s bad – but when something goes wrong with a truck, it can be so much worse.

However, advocates for this new technology argue that it could make long-haul trucking safer and more efficient.  Drowsy driving, for instance, poses a major threat to truckers and the driving public.  Autonomous trucks could cut down on the numerous drowsy and distracted driving accidents that occur each year. […]

Unsecured Loads and Road Debris Cause Deadly Crashes

Road debris and unsecured loads cause avoidable, deadly accidents.

Imagine traveling down the highway at 60 mph and seeing a piece of scrap metal come flying off the back of a truck into your windshield. Or being hit by a driver who swerved to avoid a piece of furniture on the road. While these might sound like freak accidents, these sorts of crashes happen too often.

According to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, unsecured loads and debris in the road lead to 200k crashes between 2011-2014.  During that time, debris-related crashes caused 39,000 injuries and 500 deaths.

“Road debris” includes anything from a shredded tire to a sofa, to a detached trailer. This excludes “natural” debris like tree branches or animals in the roadway.

All 50 states have laws against road debris and unsecured loads. […]

Drowsy Driving Myths and Misconceptions

After decades of representing individuals and families who have been victims of tractor trailer crashes, our truck accident lawyers know that drowsy driving is one of the biggest threats to the traveling public today.

According to a recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), approximately 5,000 people died in drowsy driving accidents last year in the United States. And, about 10-20% of truck accidents involved a tired driver.

Alertness, judgment, vision, and reaction time all decrease with fatigue. An alarming number of drivers report dozing off or falling asleep while driving.

Drowsy Driving: Myth vs. Fact

Myth: Fatigue is a sign of weakness.

Fact: Sleep is a basic human need, as essential as food and water. Without it, the body cannot function properly.  In a profession as physically demanding as trucking, […]

OSHA Helps Trucker Fired for Refusing to Break Safety Rules

It’s a tough call that truck drivers are often forced to make.

A trucker was assigned to transport a load of Poland Spring water from Massachusetts to New Jersey. A severe thunderstorm causing flooded roads and heavy traffic slowed him down considerably, and he realized he would not be able to complete the delivery and return home without violating the federal hours of service regulations intended to prevent overworked truckers from becoming a danger on the highways. So, he delivered the shipment to a closer facility; the trucking company and the customer approved the arrangement, and another driver carried the shipment to its final destination.

He was fired the next day for insubordination.

The driver filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, who stepped in to help. According to one of their administrators:

“The law is clear: Drivers have the right to raise legitimate safety concerns to their employer – including refusing to violate safety regulations – without fear of termination or other retaliation. […]

Trucking Interests Use Zika Fears to Weaken Highway Safety

Last week, Congress passed measures that seriously threaten the safety of the driving public, though you probably didn’t hear about it.

The Senate passed a measure that allows truck drivers to work a total of 81.5  hours each week as part of a massive spending measure that will fund transportation, housing, military construction projects, the Veterans Administration, and Zika virus prevention. In the House, similar rules were added to the transportation and housing appropriations bill. Both bills prevent the enforcement of safety regulations that took effect in 2013, limiting truck drivers to 70-hour workweeks and requiring two nights of rest between workweeks.

These measures rolling back trucker rest rules have been fiercely opposed by safety advocates, and likely would not pass on their own as stand-alone bills. So, in a disturbing pattern, trucking interest groups have been passing these measures by tacking them onto “must-pass” […]