Truck Drivers & Major Safety Hazard – Texas Truck Accident Lawyer

Dallas, Tx, 08/25/2015 /SubmitPressRelease123/

Texas truck accident lawyer weighs in on the apparent increase in truck accidents across the U.S. and related factors.

Much has been written about issues impacting the trucking industry lately including the unwarranted effects of a rise in the number of registered big trucks that has been accompanied by an increase in truck accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number has increased from approximately 8.2 million to over 10 million over the course of the last decade.

A recent report from The Associated Press stated that although the number of commercial trucks on the road has increased, there has not been the needed growth in the number of rest stops for truck drivers, which some suggest is a major safety hazard. Truck drivers are not supposed to work more than 14 hours total without having had 10 hours of mandatory downtime according to federal regulations. However, the report notes that some drivers allege that an insufficient number of parking spaces prevents them from adhering to the rules.

Source: Associated Press Report “Truck drivers search for parking amid rise in big rigs”

“MONROE, Ohio — The amount of tractor-trailers on the road has climbed in recent years, but the number of parking spots for truck drivers to stop and rest hasn’t kept pace, leading to what truckers and industry leaders describe as a safety hazard that puts truckers on the road for too long.”

Jet Express President Kevin Burch is quoted in the report as stating of the issue “These truckers have to have rest, so where do they go?…The truck stops are full. The rest stops are full. The shopping centers have no parking. It is a big problem that no one seems to care about.”

Could this be one issue contributing to more truck accidents across the US? Texas based truck accident attorney Amy Witherite of the Eberstein Witherite law firm says although it is likely, it should not provide an excuse for the choice to not adhere to outlined trucking safety regulations. According to Witherite “there seems to be a barrage of excuses laid out by those in the industry lately for why truck drivers and trucking companies are not doing what they are supposed to.”

Truck driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of truck crashes in the U.S. some reports suggest. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has stated that over 20,000 truck accident injuries reported each year are directly linked to fatigued drivers of large trucks. This has resulted in a number of lawsuits against trucking companies for the misconduct of their drivers.

The issue of reducing truck driver fatigue is an important one to address Witherite says, but in a way that provides solutions for fixing the problem as opposed to appearing to excuse the actions of drivers who drive miles illegally while in this condition, putting many in harm’s way. The Texas personal injury lawyer further stresses “when there is evidence suggesting that this type of problem exists and could be contributing to a mass number of injuries or fatalities each year, you would think that trucking companies and others in the industry would want to take steps to immediately address the problem as opposed to turning a blind eye.”

Transportation safety advocates and others continue to press the issue of enforcing truck industry regulations and holding violators accountable for their actions. Many hope that raising awareness of certain issues will help provide a wake up call for those who are in positions to change the circumstances.

Media Contact:

Lucy Tiseo

Eberstein Witherite LLP

Phone: 866-774-5410

http://www.1800truckwreck.com/

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