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. […]

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. […]

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. […]

Crash tests find tractor trailer underride guards often fail

Most tractor trailers are required to have underride guards, steel bars that hang from the backs of trailers to prevent a passenger car from moving underneath the truck during a crash. According to the IIHS, when a passenger vehicle ends up under a truck, the top of the occupant compartment gets crushed because the structures designed to absorb the energy of the crash are bypassed. The airbags and safety belts can’t do their jobs and people inside can experience life-threatening head and neck injuries.

Earlier research from the IIHS showed the minimum strength and dimensions required for underride guards were inadequate, prompting the Institute to petition the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2011 for tougher standards. The Institute also asked the NHTSA to consider applying the standards to other types of large trucks, such as dump trucks that aren’t required to have any underride guards. […]

Congress weakened trucking laws days before Tracy Morgan crash

The driver of a Wal-Mart truck has been charged in connection with the wreck this past weekend on the New Jersey turnpike that critically injured Tracy Morgan and left another man dead. News sources are reporting that the truck driver was dozing at the time of the crash.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), fatigue is a leading factor in large truck crashes. That is just one reason why the move by Congress to suspend a requirement that truck drivers rest for at least 34 consecutive hours between workweeks is so shocking. Highway safety advocates said the amendment could increase the risk of fatal accidents involving tractor-trailers.

The amendment was sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), who has been sharply criticized by transportation safety groups for the effort to change the rules. Specifically, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 21-9 to rescind portions of the rules that require truck driver to take breaks between 1 and 5a.m. […]