Sunday Night Trucking Accident Post

As some of you know from my previous posts, I work for one of the most well known injury law firms in South Florida, Gordon & Doner, P.A. Catastrophic trucking accidents are some of the most horrific accidents we see. Often times, they could have been avoided had the trucking company been more diligent in their vehicle safety and driver screening.

At maximum capacity, an 18-wheeler can weigh as much as 80 tons. Something that would have been no more than a fender bender with two average size sedans, is now a horrible wreck. In 2007, Florida had the second highest amount of fatal crashes involving large trucks, following California.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), one of every eight traffic fatalities is caused by a collision with a large truck, and most deaths that occur in these accidents are the passengers of the automobiles. Tractor trailers – large trucks that weigh 20-30 times more than passenger cars – account for only 3 percent of registered vehicles on the roads, yet are involved in 12 of all the traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA.

Tractor trailer and truck accidents are caused by a variety of factors including vehicle safety, driver skill level, and driver fatigue. Common sense dictates that a properly trained and licensed driver of these large trucks will improve performance and reduce auto accidents. However, a Federal Highway Administration study in 1996 concluded that the trucking sector is not providing adequate training for new drivers of large trucks. Specifically, the study determined: Less than one-third of new drivers of tractor trailers and other large trucks are properly trained and only 10 percent of trucking companies offer sufficient training for their new drivers.

In 1984, the Department of Transportation released its Proposed Minimum Standards for Training Tractor-Trailer Drivers, but, unfortunately, the new standards were made voluntary instead of mandatory. Under the proposal, drivers would receive 320 hours of instruction – half of which would be behind-the-wheel and on-the-road. Currently, drivers with a CDL license are not required to have on-the-road experience.

Personally, I always try to keep my distance from large trucks. If you you like to contact me, I can be reached at AWerner@fortheinjured.com