Spending bill alarms truck safety advocates

Once again,  the trucking industry is making people nervous.

While I was doing research for this blog post yesterday, a tractor trailer accident in our area had Interstate 81 shut down for most of the day. The driver of the truck lost his life.

Trucking is a major industry across much of the country, including in our home region of NEPA. With all these large tractor trailers on the road alongside comparatively tiny passenger vehicles, the number of heavy trucking accidents has been rising for the last four years. You’d think, then, that safety would be more of a concern for lawmakers and industry officials. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.

As truck accident lawyers, this is something we feel strongly about. This post will cover what you should know about how these changes could affect you. […]

Long Haul Truck Drivers Need to Buckle Up

CDC study shows more than 1/3 of truckers who die in crashes were not wearing seat belts. About one in six truckers doesn’t wear a seat belt at all.

How big is this problem? Well, trucking is quickly becoming one of the largest occupations in the country. In fact, a recent study lists truck driving as America’s most common occupation, but this data may be slightly skewed by the omission of more ambiguous sales positions and the way that the government categorizes jobs, grouping all truck driving jobs together (from tractor trailer drivers to mail deliverers to garbage truck drivers) but those caveats notwithstanding, trucking is still a massive industry. Partly because it is one occupation that has not been automated or outsourced. And, it is needed everywhere; regardless of location or economic climate, food products and goods still need to be distributed across the country. […]

Proposed Law: Fine Truckers for Uncleared Snow, Ice

A law proposed by state Senator Lisa Boscola would impose fines on truck drivers who do not clear ice and snow from their vehicles before driving.

In the winter, it’s common to see chunks of ice and snow flying off the tops of large trucks as they go barreling down the highway.  For drivers traveling behind these trucks, frozen projectiles can hit their windshields and obstruct their vision, or even cause damage. Or, drivers might swerve to avoid being hit, and get into an accident. The proposed bill has been re-introduced with safety in mind. In 2005, a woman from Jim Thorpe, PA, was killed when a chunk of ice dislodged and flew into her windshield.

Under the current law, truck drivers are only penalized if someone gets seriously injured or killed.  Fines range from $200-$1,000 for each offense. […]

Boston and New York leading the way toward safer streets

New laws in Boston and New York to help prevent fatalities from truck accidents and pedestrian deaths

Steven Gursten of the Michigan Auto Law blog has a great post about truck safety. A few months ago, Boston became the first US city to require side guards on large commercial trucks. The purpose of the side-guard is to prevent other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians from becoming caught underneath trucks.

Why is this important? Well, “underride” accidents are actually a serious concern. Underrides occur when a smaller vehicle becomes caught under the back of a truck in the event of a crash. Most trucks have underride bars, which are designed to prevent this from happening. When they function correctly, they can prevent significant injury. When they fail, passengers inside the smaller vehicle can be crushed, killed, or decapitated. […]

Trucker rest rule suspension puts all drivers at risk

WATCH: Attorney Dan Munley weighs in on the suspension of trucker rest laws and what it means for other drivers on the road.

Last month, we covered the breaking news that the federal government moved to suspend certain laws that had been put in place just a year earlier regarding rest requirements the maximum weekly hours of operation for truck drivers. The previous law required that the 34-hour interim between work weeks include at least two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. – this was intended to provide truckers with the opportunity to get more sleep before getting back at the wheel. Now, the break between work weeks need only include one 1 a.m. -5 a.m. period. Thus, truck drivers may begin a work week having gotten less sleep, and that work week may be as long as 80 hours. […]