Side Underride Guards May Be the Difference Between Life and Death

First-Ever Side Underride Crash Tests

A new crash test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows exactly how side underride guards on tractor trailers can mean the difference between life and death.

A side underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with the side of a trailer or heavy truck. The results are grisly. The impact can shear the top of the smaller vehicle and kill the occupants.

The IIHS has long been measuring rear-underride guard effectiveness, but this is the first test of side guards.  Researchers ran two midsize cars into the sides of two semi-trailers at 35 mph. One trailer was equipped with a fiberglass side panel, and the other with the “AngelWing” underride protector from Airflow Deflector, Inc.

Tractor Trailer Side Underride Guard Test Results:

Fiberglass panel – As the above photo shows, the car went right through the panel and became lodged under the trailer. […]

New tech solutions for truck safety

As truck accident lawyers, we don’t just handle truck accident cases, we also strive to improve safety on our nation’s highways. We regularly join with other advocates across the country in support of better safety laws and regulations. Sometimes, working toward change can feel like an uphill battle. So, it’s especially gratifying to see trucking companies and researchers voluntarily investing in safety technology that will save lives.

Artificial Daylight to Improve Trucker Health, Safety

One exciting tech solution to a serious truck safety issue is the use of artificial daylight in truck cabs.

Logging 10+ hour days and making long overnight trips can take a toll on truck drivers’ physical and mental health. It also presents a safety hazard – a drowsy driver behind the wheel of an 80,000lb vehicle can spell disaster. So,  researchers in Germany sought to counteract the effects of darkness on the brain.   […]

At Long Last, Better Underride Guards on Tractor-Trailers

New underride guards to help prevent fatalities in the event of a crash

How about some good news? After years of pressure from safety advocates, semitrailer companies are making changes.

For the first time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has issued the “Toughguard” rating to semi-trailer manufacturers who pass the new underride guard crash tests. Five of eight of the largest North American semitrailer manufacturers earned top honors.

An underride guard is the metal bumper on the rear of a tractor-trailer, designed to keep smaller cars from going underneath the truck in the event of a rear-end crash. However, underride guards frequently prove ineffective, breaking or buckling in a collision. When they fail, cars slide under the rear of the trailer, crushing the cabin, as in the photo below. As you can see in the picture, vehicle occupants stand little chance of survival. […]

Truck Driver Safety Policies Will Have Life and Death Consequences

Legislation passed last week to prevent a government shutdown effectively blocked federal regulation of truck driver rest rules. This is the third time Congress has suspended driver rest rules requiring truckers to get two full nights of rest between work weeks.

Truck Driver Rest Rules

Hours-of-service regulations limit when and for how long truckers can remain on the road.

Under current law, truck drivers may drive up to 11 hours a day, and up to 70 hours over an 8-day period. A 34-hour break is required between work weeks.

The recent legislation suspended regulations that would require the 34-hour rest period to include two nights (1am-5am) before another work week can begin. The defeated regulations also prevented truckers from working 60 hours, taking a 34-hour break, and resuming another work week within a 7-day period.

The rest rules aimed to ensure that truck drivers get the rest required to do their jobs safely. […]

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. Penalties range from a fine to jail time. […]

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” […]

Should teenagers be driving tractor trailers?

How do you feel about the thought of an 18-year-old behind the wheel of the 40-ton truck next to you on the highway?

A new transportation bill includes legislation that would allow 18-year-old drivers to drive tractor trailers across state lines. Not surprisingly, safety advocates are baffled.

Currently, drivers 18 and older can obtain a commercial license to drive a big rig in most states but are not allowed to drive across state lines until the age of 21. It is true that this means that a young driver could legally travel long distances across his/her home state but not to closer places just over state lines. But that is not a justification for opening up the possibility for interstate travel. As Jackie Gillian, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, puts it, “We should be considering how to limit teen truck drivers,” […]

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

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.

Proponents of this change, including Senator Susan Collins, have claimed that the previous laws had “unforeseen” consequences requiring further study. Among these consequences is the fact that drivers who are required to be off the road during the aforementioned 1a.m.-5a.m. […]

New truck driver rest rules: a step backward?

Just last year,  new laws were put in place regarding the number of hours commercial truck drivers can spend on the road during the work week. The laws were designed to decrease the number of accidents caused by sleep-deprived drivers dozing off at the wheel, and thus promote public safety. Under the 2013 laws, drivers were allowed to drive for a maximum of 11 hours per day, and 70 hours per week. Drivers who reached the 70-hour maximum within a week could resume work only after taking a 34-hour break, including two nights of rest from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.

This week, however, a provision included in the new spending bill passed by Congress will suspend some of these safety rules, pending a study of their effectiveness. Under the new rules, truckers could conceivably work up to 82 hours per week and are no longer required to have two nights of rest before returning to work. […]

Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers warn truck crashes kill

The destruction and trauma caused by a crash with a large truck is devastating. Often, innocent people are killed, and lives are ruined. However, many of these crashes are caused by controllable factors such as lack of proper driver training, driver fatigue, driver distraction, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or driving overloaded trucks.

Last week, a tractor-trailer driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing a multi-vehicle accident on Route 222 in Berks County that killed two people and injured nine others. The Allentown Morning Call reported that the truck driver rammed into several vehicles stopped at a traffic light. Still asleep, the trucker, a 50-year old Reading man, veered into oncoming traffic and collided with more vehicles.

The Berks County DA said in a press conference that the driver was charged with nine counts of aggravated assault by vehicle, […]

Safety group files suit for tougher trucker training laws

Several groups, including the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters filed suit against the DOT and the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), seeking stiffer rules for training entry-level truck drivers.

Bloomberg reported that regulators have missed deadlines set by two laws passed by Congress since 1991. According to the article, the FMSCA issued a rule in 2004 that only requires 10 hours of classroom work on such topics as driver wellness and hours of service. The watchdog groups say that rule is inadequate, because it doesn’t require any training for entry-level drivers on how to operate commercial vehicles, according to the complaint.

In 2012, Congress passed a second law (the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” also known as MAP-21) requiring the DOT to issue the entry-level training rule, […]

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, […]

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. […]