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Tractor trailer safety concerns are a major issue when it comes to traffic safety. Approximately one in eight fatalities on our nation’s roadways involves a large truck, or “semi.” Tractor trailers are involved in 500,000 accidents each year in the United States. Of these accidents 140,000 people are injured and nearly 5,000 people die. Of those victims who receive injuries, approximately 26,000 will suffer from serious brain damage or the loss of a limb. Ninety eight percent of the time, the people who die in tractor trailer accidents are the drivers or passengers of other motor vehicles. In order to reduce these staggering numbers, it is imperative that tractor trailer safety be established, complied with, and properly enforced.
In the 1990s the federal government conducted a series of studies regarding tractor trailer safety and accident information. In response to the information they gathered, the government established the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2000. The FMCSA is responsible for creating, implementing, and overseeing tractor trailer safety standards in order to reduce the number of tractor trailer accidents that occurs in the United States. The FMCSA has implemented a variety of more stringent tractor trailer safety standards than had previously been in place.
One of the major factors which can compromise tractor trailer safety is truck driver fatigue. The nature of truck transportation often requires covering long distances over long periods of time. Tractor trailer safety studies have indicated that fatigue is responsible for tractor trailer accidents thirty to forty percent of the time. In one study, twenty percent of the truck drivers surveyed stated that they had fallen asleep at the wheel at least once in the last three months. Because of this serious risk the FMCSA placed stricter limits on the number of hours a driver can work between breaks and requires drivers to keep Hours of Service logs.
In addition to this tractor trailer safety requirement, truck companies are required to carry a minimum level of insurance. They are also required to properly maintain all tractor trailers and equipment to sustain tractor trailer safety. Trucks are required to stop at weight stations to ensure that they are in compliance with weight limitations. Hours of Service logs are often checked at this time as well. Local and state law enforcement also plays an integral role in tractor trailer safety and will conduct random stops and inspections.
Despite tractor trailer safety measures, accidents still can and do occur and violations of tractor trailer safety laws are also made. A 1997 study found that in a random given week of inspections at least 9000 tractor trailer safety violations were committed. When tractor trailer safety is breeched, serious accidents can result.
If you have been involved in a tractor trailer accident or for more information on tractor trailer safety laws, you may wish to contact an attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and options in a case to recover what you have lost as a result of the accident.
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