2012 February

New government recommendations are targeting drowsy truck drivers with sleep apnea. In the name of safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued 11 recommendations to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to remove or limit drivers with sleep apnea. The agency argues that drivers with interrupted sleep are more likely to cause fatigue-related collisions and…   Read More

18-Vehicle Crash in Tennessee The wintry mix that fell in the area on Sunday caused an 18-vehichle crash on I-75 in Campbell County, TN, leaving dozens injured, one seriously.  The accident occurred on the icy interstate near mile-marker 158 near Jellico, TN at the KY/TN border. WBIR.com reports the wreck involved eight tractor trailers, nine…   Read More

Last week, a tractor-trailer in St Louis, Missouri moved out of its lane. The right side of the truck hit the left side of a Chevy Impala. The Impala swerved and hit a second car, which spun around and then hit the tractor-trailer. Three people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries; both cars…   Read More

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently issued an immediate order to U&D Service, Inc., a truck company in Indianapolis, to cease all transportation operations immediately, calling them an imminent hazard. U&D has repeatedly violated state and federal regulations over the past four months and then failed to meet its commitments to remedy these…   Read More

Dump Truck Collides with School Bus in NJ, One Child Dead, 17 Injured According to news reports, one child died and seventeen children were injured Thursday morning when the school bus in which they were riding was hit by a dump truck.  The deceased was a triplet, and early reports indicate her two siblings were airlifted…   Read More

Yes. Studies by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) show that prescription drugs are an “associated factor” in 28.7% of all U.S. truck accidents. In fact, the FMCSA attempts to regulate the use of prescription drugs by truck drivers. The use of anti-seizure drugs, methadone and any amphetamine, narcotic or habit-forming drug are all…   Read More

Last week, a Pennsylvania state trooper allowed a dump truck driver to plead guilty to a minor violation for moving a vehicle unsafely. Both the coroner and the district attorney involved in the case were upset – the ticket stemmed from an incident last summer when the driver made an illegal U-turn and collided with…   Read More

Tractor-Trailer Involved in Fatal Four-Vehicle Crash in Ohio A four-vehicle crash on I-70 East near Columbus, Ohio killed one person and left four others injured last week. The accident occurred when a Dodge Durango traveling west on I-70 crossed the freeway median (including the steel cables) and slammed head-on into a minivan on the other…   Read More

Truck safety advocates had a reason to celebrate recently when the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted against a truck weight limit increase.  The move, in a close and rare bipartisan vote, means a weight increase must be studied for safety and impact before another vote can occur. “With a nine percent increase in truck…   Read More

An underride guard, a piece of metal attached underneath the back of a truck, prevents passenger vehicles from sliding under the truck during a rear-end collision. Passenger vehicles are small enough to slip underneath the back of a truck, causing the car’s hood, windshield, and roof to peel away. Decapitation for drivers and front seat…   Read More