Semi Truck Safety Comes Into Question
According to a new report published by the New York Times on June 19, 2014, the Wal-Mart truck driver blamed for causing a multiple-vehicle accident that critically injured well-known comedian Tracy Morgan had been driving for more than 13 consecutive hours and was speeding just before the collision occurred.
A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report found that the driver was approaching 14 hours on the clock and that he had been behind the wheel for exactly nine hours and 37 minutes. Semi truck safety investigators also determined that the Wal-Mart semi truck driver had been traveling 65 miles per hour in a 45 miles per hour zone.
A criminal complaint filed by the police allege that the driver had not slept for more than 24 hours prior to the accident. The semi truck safety investigation continues to progress as officials are analyzing and compiling information to determine whether the semi truck driver was fatigued at the time of the incident.
Severity of Driver Fatigue
While a semi truck accident of any kind can be devastating and can likely result in catastrophic consequences, those involving driver fatigue can be much more deadly. Not only is the semi truck driver placing himself at risk by falling asleep behind the wheel, but he can unknowingly hit one or more vehicles, pedestrians or pieces of property and cause multiple damages.
Unfortunately, many truck drivers are forced to meet unreasonable delivery schedules. If a truck company overbooks its drivers or fails to properly estimate the distance from one location to the next, a truck driver may feel pressured to meet these deadlines in order to retain their jobs and/or pay. As a result, he or she may fail to adhere to the semi truck safety regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reduce the risk of semi truck accidents due to driver fatigue.
Electronic Devices May Reduce Semi Truck Accidents
With technology ever-changing, trucking companies are beginning to push for the removal of electronic hours of service recorders from their fleets. However, before the FMCSA makes a decision as to whether all semi trucks should feature these logging and tracking devices, it made the decision to launch a semi truck safety study to analyze the potential benefits. The FMCSA found that EHOS-equipped semi trucks were less likely to become involved in accidents, and drivers were 53 percent less likely to violate the agency’s hours of service rule.
Contact Attorney Group for Louisiana for More Information
Attorney Group for Louisiana understands how devastating semi truck accidents can be, particularly if they were preventable. To learn more about pursuing a claim against those responsible if you or someone you love has been injured in a Louisiana semi truck accident, contact us today. We can help answer your questions and place you in touch with one of our local affiliated Louisiana attorneys who can help you seek the compensation to which you may be entitled.
