The U.S. government has mandated that all commercial truck drivers use electronic log books by the end of 2017, replacing the paper logs that commonly included fraudulent entries. Drivers have often felt pressure to be on the road more than is legally allowed and, without electronic tracking, they were able to get away with this. A Truck Accident Injury Attorney in St. Charles MO knows how dangerous that situation can be, and also understands the incidence of serious accidents between trucks, and passenger vehicles are not going to suddenly end.
Commercial Drivers
It’s not just the pressure on long-haul drivers to go without sleep to make deliveries and pickups on time. Delivery drivers within local and regional routes also face demanding schedules, which may lead them to make decisions that are not entirely safe. In addition, some delivery services have asked the federal government for an exemption from the electronic logbook rule.
Expert Insight
A traffic study completed in October 2016 determined the most frequent violations by commercial drivers that could be implicated in an accident. Hurrying seems to be a distinct issue. Traveling faster than the speed limit was, as could be expected, relatively common. Some drivers travel through red lights and treat stop signs like yield signs. Another problem that has been connected with an increased risk of collisions is using a handheld phone instead of speakers.
Fortunately, the law enforcement officials participating in this study noted a relatively small number of drivers who were noticeably fatigued. Nevertheless, a Truck Accident Injury Attorney in St. Charles MO knows this is still an alarming factor considering those overly tired individuals are operating large, heavy equipment at high speeds.
Additional Causes
Sometimes, a person in a passenger vehicle is injured in a heavy truck accident, and it wasn’t that driver’s fault nor the fault of the trucker. A driver in another vehicle could cause an accident with unsafe actions like darting in and out of traffic or attempting to pass on a two-lane highway when passing is unsafe. Anyone injured in a collision involving a commercial truck may contact an organization such as Niedner Law for assistance. Learn more about our firm at the website.