Speed is dangerous and is cited as a contributing factor in a considerable number of truck accidents. As the number of vehicles traveling America’s roads continues to increase, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering a proposal that would limit the top speed of commercial motor vehicles.
The DOT’s proposal would lower the speed limit to 60 MPH for commercial motor vehicles that weigh over 26,000 pounds. The rule would apply to semi-trucks, buses, and other large vehicles. DOT”s internal estimates show that this proposed rule change could save up to 500 lives per year.
The proposal has support from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These agencies all agree that reducing the speed limit would save lives, however, they disagree as to what the speed limit should be, and how many lives might be saved. Ultimately, it will be up to the DOT to set the final rule later this year. It is expected the the rule change will be met with considerable resistance from the trucking industry as the proposal could cost the industry upwards of $1.5 billion per year to comply.
Moreover, there are concerns that if commercial trucks are driving too slow, they will pose an even greater risk to motorists who could be traveling 10, 15, even 20 MPH faster at legal highway speeds. This could increase the number of semi-trucks that are rear-ended by motorists traveling at considerably higher rates of speed. In fact, the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association has stated that the significant differentials in speed would increase the possibility of crashes several fold.
Truck wreck lawyers also point out that many trucks traveling down the road are doing so on tires that aren’t designed to handle speeds in excess of 75 MPH. This means that in states where the speed limit is greater than 75 MPH, these vehicles are inherently unstable and dangerous even though they are driving within the legal speed parameters. Tennessee is not one of these states as the maximum speed on state highways is 70 MPH.
The public has 60 days to comment on the proposals being considered by the Department of Transportation. Until the DOT rules on the potential changes, motorists and semi-truck drivers will have to proceed with caution. That means watching their speed and paying close attention to road conditions so that they don’t become one of the thousands of fatal truck accidents that occur every year.
A Heavy Truck Crash Causation Study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that the truck driver was the critical reason for 87 percent of the truck crashes analyzed. Approximately 19 percent of the total accidents were due to driver fatigue. When a large truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the risk of injury or death to the passenger vehicle’s occupants is significant.
Grim statistics on truck accidents
For the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, critical events were: 1) Departure from the travel lane into another vehicle or off road. 2) Loss of control of the vehicle. 3) Crashing into the rear of a vehicle in the trucks travel lane. The NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Data on commercial trucks from 2015 reports that approximately 95,000 people were injured in large truck accidents in 2013. There were 3,964 fatalities. Seventy-one percent of those deaths were people in the other vehicle. When a truck accident results in injury or death, a trucking accident attorney can advise injured parties about their rights.
FMCSA requirements for commercial motor vehicles
The FMCSA has hours of service regulations for when and how long drivers are allowed to drive. The limits on drive time and work time are to reduce the risk of fatigued and sleep-deprived drivers operating heavy trucks on busy highways. Drivers have three maximum duty restrictions:
The 14-hour driving window limit: Drivers must be off work at least 10 consecutive hours after working 14 hours
The 11-hour driving limit: Drivers can only drive for up to 11 hours during the 14 hours of work time
The total hours limits: Drivers can only work a maximum of 60 hours in any seven day period and a max of 70 in eight days
Some people go their entire life without receiving a traffic ticket or being involved in an automobile accident. Even those fortunate people have been affected by automobile crashes because one or more of their loved ones has been involved in a crash. A person can be operating their vehicle in a safe manner and still be struck by another vehicle. When that other vehicle is a commercial truck, the resulting accident often results in serious injury or death. A trucking accident attorney understands the laws governing trucking companies and the drivers who operate the large trucks. They can provide advise and counsel to motorists involved in large truck crashes.
The rising number of autonomous vehicles makes determining fault after an accident more difficult. Someday all motorized vehicles will likely be self-driven, but until that point, humans and machines must work together. Determining fault after an accident with human drivers is not straightforward. Factoring in non-human drivers brings up even more questions. An experienced truck accident attorney can provide guidance after an accident involving automated trucks.
Profits Push Technology Forward
There are around 1.7 million truck drivers and another 1.7 million taxi, delivery and bus drivers in the U.S. Carmakers are aggressively pursuing automated vehicles to save on human labor costs and to save lives on the road.
Automated vehicles will likely be much safer than those operated by humans, who can be tired, distracted, under the influence, or simply slow to react. However, humans and robotic vehicles are going to coexist until the technology is advanced enough to make human operation unnecessary.
The eventual goal is for big rigs to travel without a human driver. Trucks would be able to operate around the clock. More automated vehicles on the road interacted with human drivers will increase opportunities for accidents.
New Laws will be Necessary
More than 3,000 people were killed each year from 2012-2014 in crashes involved big rigs. Most accidents involve human error in some form. HAVs would not make human mistakes.
On September 20, guidelines for highly autonomous vehicles (HAVs) by the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration were introduced.
Autonomous vehicles must be able to meet a variety of behavioral competencies, including:
Merging at low and high speeds
Responding to speed limit changes and speed advisories
Detecting and responding to oncoming or encroaching vehicles
Detect traffic signals and traffic signs
Navigate parking lots and parking spaces
Follow all local and state laws
While full automation is probably years away, at least partially automated vehicles, including big rigs, are here now. Their numbers will only continue to increase.
Who is to Blame After an Accident?
The big question is, who is to blame for an accident? When humans and machines are driving together, it will be all too easy to blame the person. Determining which vehicle is at fault, when partial or total automation is involved with humans, will be difficult. This gray area can best be addressed by a knowledgeable truck accident attorney.
According to Virginia State Police, 38-year-old Felimon V. Aizpuro II and 50-year-old Debbie S. Huffman both died in a dump truck backover accident at the intersection of routes 11 and 340 in Augusta County during a highway maintenance project. Huffman was killed instantly. Aizpuro died of his injuries a short time after medical help arrived on the scene. The accident occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. when visibility was good. Investigators say another worker apparently motioned to the driver that the path was clear for him to back up and drop his load of asphalt. All persons involved worked for the same paving company.
A common tragedy on job sites
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 443 struck-by deaths occurred at highway construction sites from 2003 to 2010. The bureau estimates that 143 of those fatalities were due to backover accidents. Seventy workers were killed in backover accidents in 2011. Backover accidents happen for a variety of reasons. A truck injury lawyer can advise people who have lost a loved one due to a backover accident on their rights and the best course of action.
How do backover accidents happen?
All trucks and other heavy equipment used on job sites should have backing alarms that sound automatically when the equipment is in reverse. These alarms are sometimes drowned out by other worksite noises. Some fatalities occur due alarms not functioningproperly. Workers on foot should wear high-visibility personal protective equipment, but truck drivers may not be able to see workers in their blind spot. Drivers rely on spotters to assure them the path is clear before backing up. If the designated spotter is distracted or busy with another truck, drivers may assume the area is clear or call upon a worker who is not trained to direct heavy equipment. Some backover accidents are due to a combination of factors.
Preventing backover fatalities
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has established a number of standard operating procedures. Proper education of all personnel on the high risk of backover accidents is crucial. People on foot may not be aware of a truck driver’s blind spots. Video cameras with in-vehicle display monitors offer another way drivers can see what is behind them. Proximity detection devices can alert drivers if they are close to a person or other object. At the start of each shift workers should inspect equipment and review verbal and non-verbal communication signals.
Drowsy truck drivers are a dangerous and deadly threat to public health. It’s estimated that truck crashes cost the US economy roughly $99 billion a year in the form of lost wages, lost commerce, and expensive medical bills. It is estimated that roughly 30% of fatality, and 15% of injury crashes involving large trucks are caused by truck driver fatigue.
Fatalities are Rising
In 2013, 3,964 individuals were killed in accidents involving large trucks. 586 of these fatalities were truck drivers or their passengers. These statistics show that when a large truck is involved in an accident, it’s the occupants of the smaller passenger vehicle that are at the greatest risk. The fatality rates are increasing and 2013 was the fourth year in a row that they rose.
Driver Shortage Exacerbates Problems Caused by Fatigue
Fewer drivers mean companies are requiring more and more drive time from their drivers. Large trucking companies have been reporting up to 90% turnover every year since 2012. As the hours get longer, and the hauls even further, more and more drivers are leaving the industry. As of now, it is estimated that there is a shortage of drivers exceeding 35,000. This means that more and more companies are hiring inexperienced drivers to fill slots vacated by more experienced drivers. The more inexperienced the driver, the greater the likelihood that they will be involved in an accident involving fatigue, driver error, or other cause that a seasoned driver may not make.
Trucks are Disproportionately Dangerous
The NTSB estimates that trucks account for less than 10% of all road miles driven each year. However, they are involved in approximately 1 in 8 fatality accidents. 7% of drivers self-report having fallen asleep at the wheel, and a total of 13% report fatigue as a contributing factor to crashes they have been involved in. When driver fatigue is combined with crowded highways and busy intersections, it is other motorists who pay for the driver’s lack of sleep. Even minor fatigue can cause significant loss of focus and inattention to the road that can cause an accident.
Individuals who have been involved in an accident involving a semi-truck driven by a fatigued driver should contact a semi-truck accident lawyer. When a fatigued truck driver causes an accident, they are responsible for the physical injuries and property damage, as well as the loss of income, companionship, and quality of life that their lack of sleep leads to.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, larger, heavier trucks are associated with a higher risk for serious large truck accidents than smaller, single trailer trucks. Not surprisingly, law enforcement officials, safety leaders, elected officials and even individual truck drivers themselves agree. In fact, a recent poll reveals that an alarming 95 percent of law enforcement officers who were surveyed feel that longer, heavier trucks will be more dangerous. Additionally, an estimated 88 percent of individual truckers who were asked believe that the increased use of larger trucks will negatively impact the safety of America’s roadways.
Large Truck Weight Limits
Large truck weight regulations have been the topic for debate for decades, and in September of 2015, the Safe, Flexible and Efficient Trucking Act was introduced to the House. Fortunately, the amendment that would have raised large truck weight limits to an alarming 91,000 pounds was rejected. Because heavier trucks are more difficult to steer, can become top-heavy and more prone to rollovers, and take a longer distance to stop, the added weight could have posed significant dangers to everyone on the road. Additionally, the heavier trucks would have caused more damage to the roads than the typical 80,000 pound trucks do, causing poor infrastructure that would endanger the lives of motor vehicle operators and their passengers. Sadly, in an effort to transport an increased amount of cargo, many trucks continue to be overloaded, exceeding the federal weight regulations.
Extending the Length of Twin-Trailers
The weight of large trucks isn’t the only issue at hand, however. The Coalition for Efficient & Responsible Trucking (CERT) supported a proposal to increase the maximum length of twin-trailer semi-trucks last year as well. Current regulations allow double-trailer rigs to have trailers that are a maximum of 28 feet long. Advocates aimed at increasing that length to 33 feet to increase the amount of cargo that truck drivers could transport in a single trip. While it is true that the legislation would have likely resulted in fewer trucks being on the nation’s roads, the dangers associated with the longer trucks significantly outweighed the benefits of less congestion.
Smaller cars and pedestrians can already be difficult for truckers to see, and longer trailers would only make that worse. Passing and merging would become more difficult, and the added trailer length would cause these trucks to have a 22-foot longer stopping distance. Fortunately, the language to lengthen twin-trailers was not approved.
