Commercial Trucking Regulations You Need To Be Aware Of After An Auto Accident
Commercial truck drivers can often engage in dangerous practices on the road. Although the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has created and enforces strict regulations to try and prevent dangerous situations, some drivers and trucking companies continuously violate these rules, which puts everyone on the road in danger.
If a trucking company learns of a violation by one of its drivers, the company is expected and required to take action to discipline the driver—reducing hours or terminating him/her if needed, to prevent violations from continuing or accelerating in the future.
Some examples of items trucking companies ignore can include the following:
Hours in Service – The FMCSA has hours of service limits in place to prevent fatigued driving. Many truck drivers do not follow these limits because they are consistently trying to make deliveries faster and meet deadlines. Additionally, some companies will incentivize drivers to make quicker deliveries, and that means higher profits. Because of this, some companies will ignore or even encourage violations.
Failure to Inspect – Drivers are required to perform detailed inspections before each trip. Occasionally drivers will skip this step, which leads to malfunctions and unfortunately crashes. Trucking companies often fail to enforce the inspection requirement to circumvent having to fix certain trucks or to allow drivers to stay on time.
Substance Abuse & Impaired Driving – Trucking companies are supposed to conduct random drug and alcohol tests to ensure that drivers are not operating vehicles while impaired. These companies do not conduct these tests because they don’t want to have to take action against drivers who fail the tests. Long hours with deadlines and driving all hours of the day and night lead many truck drivers to seek energy in the form of illegal substances. In other situations, a company may try to cover up a failed test and continue to allow that driver to work due to lack of resources or an employee’s continued timeliness- no matter how they are meeting those deadlines.
Talk About Your Injuries with a Truck Accident Attorney
When trucking companies ignore driver violations, they should be held fully accountable for any damage and injuries that occur. If you or a loved one have been a victim in a truck collision, contact Larby & Associates today. Call 918-796-5780 for a free in house consultation today.
