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Victim of truck accident suing trucking company in Tennessee

Victim of truck accident suing trucking company in Tennessee

by | Nov 1, 2014 | Tennessee, Trucking Accident

Distraction is what allegedly caused a Tennessee truck driver to swerve his tractor trailer into oncoming traffic, hitting a bus filled with high school softball players. According to KFOR News, the tragic accident claimed the lives of four young girls and severely injured several other passengers on the bus. One of the injured girls is suing the company that was responsible for hiring the truck driver, claiming that the company failed to properly train and supervise their employee, which led to the devastating truck accident.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. Large truck accidents claim the lives of thousands of Americans each year and injure countless more. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,802 fatalities from accidents involving large trucks nationwide in 2012. Approximately 107 of those deaths occurred in Tennessee.  Although there are many variables that can cause a large truck accident, such as truck driver fatigue and distraction, the employer can also be held responsible for the actions of drivers who they directly employ.

The role of the trucking company

Not only are trucking companies required to inspect, repair and maintain vital parts and equipment on their fleet of commercial trucks, they are also in charge of hiring competent and skilled drivers, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In 2012, the FMCSA was prompted to remove over 171,000 commercial vehicle drivers from service due to excessive driving violations. Over 2.1 million vehicles inspected by the FMCSA were taken off U.S. roadways in 2012 due to violation concerns as well.

A growing demand

According to NBC News, a growing demand to transport and distribute products across the country has led some trucking companies to overlook certain federal regulations regarding driver training, equipment maintenance and driver work hours. There are up to 35,000 unfilled truck driver positions in the U.S., as reported by the American Trucking Association, and that number is predicted to grow substantially in the coming years.

A recent truck accident involving famous actor and comedian Tracy Morgan illustrates how trucking company negligence can result in disaster. The commercial truck that rear-ended Morgan’s limousine was equipped with the latest safety technology; however, the automatic braking system and speed sensors were not working properly, according to a Businessweek report. The driver manning the massive 40 ton vehicle had been awake for nearly 24 hours when the accident occurred. Morgan and several others have filed a third-party lawsuit against the trucking company, who among other things scheduled the truck driver to report to work over 700 miles away from his home.

Despite the growing economy, truck companies must ensure that their vehicles and drivers do not pose a significant threat to other motorists on American roadways.

Driver distraction study looks at vehicle systems controlled by voice

Driver distraction study looks at vehicle systems controlled by voice

by | Oct 31, 2014 | Auto Accident, Tennessee

In an attempt to decrease the number of people injured and killed in auto accidents caused by distracted drivers, many states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning the use of handheld cellphones and texting while driving. These laws have prompted many drivers to put down their handheld cellular devices and rely solely on voice activated devices within their vehicles to conduct business while traveling. CBS News reported that a study released by AAA shows how voice activated devices, which are designed to increase safety while driving, may actually make driving more dangerous.

The study

While the general concept of voice activated cellular technology is somewhat new, many programs come with their fair share of errors. A recent study conducted by Dr. David Strayer from the University of Utah proposes that these errors may be the cause of significant stress and distraction to motorists who are driving while simultaneously voicing commands to their car.

In order to measure the level of cognitive distraction a driver experiences while using voice-activated technology, researchers used test vehicles equipped with heart-rate monitors and other instruments created to detect driver reaction times. During the study, motorists were given simple voice command tasks to complete while driving, including listening to and composing emails and text messages using different types of voice-activated technology. They were also asked to interact with different voice activated systems, ranging from systems that were completely accurate and reliable to those that were less reliable.

The results

The study found that drivers who used voice-activated technology to compose emails and text messages were more distracted that those who used hands free devices to simply listen to their messages. The results of the study also supported researchers’ initial theories that problems with voice-activated technology have a substantial influence on the amount of driver distraction experienced. For example, when drivers used hands free technology that was unable to understand their commands, they had higher rates of distraction.

These recent findings add clarity to research Strayer conducted on cognitive distraction last year. Previous studies revealed the effects of cognitive distraction on a motorist’s reaction time and ability to drive.

According to the AAA report, researchers hope this information will help vehicle manufacturers improve the accuracy of their voice-activated technology in order to minimize potential driver distraction.

Distraction.gov reports that 3,328 people were killed and an additional 421,000 people were seriously injured in distracted driving car accidents in 2012. Continued research and technological improvements may help to decrease these alarming statistics in the future.