Many PA Trucks and Drivers Placed Out of Service Due to Safety Initiative

A recent press release by the Pennsylvania State Police reported on the results of Operation SAFE—a statewide police task force assigned to examine seat belt use and driver fatigue in commercial truck drivers over a single day in early June. The research resulted in the removal of over 100 trucks and the suspension of over 70 drivers due to safety issues. Additionally, an overwhelming 51% of trucks failed inspection of federal motor carrier safety regulations. Many of the drivers removed from service by the state police were done so because of their driving logs, which showed an overload of hours prohibited by federal and state standards. This overload of hours leads to driver fatigue, a significant cause of accidents on PA highways.

Driver fatigue is one of the major causes of truck accidents on PA’s major highways. Fatigue often leads to distractibility, an inability to focus, and a lack of alertness that leads to serious and potentially deadly accidents with lasting injuries. If you feel that you have been wrongly injured due to a truck accident, please contact our law office for a consultation at no cost to you. Attorney Doug Stoehr would be happy to meet with you to discuss legal action pertaining to your truck accident.

Beware Fatigued Drivers!

Fatigued drivers are becoming an increasingly common problem on major highways and interstates. A recent article by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review highlighted a problem with Pennsylvania charter bus companies shuttling passengers on day or overnight trips. The article stated that many drivers are driving over the legal cap of 10 hours, and are not taking 8 hours off between driving sessions. Unfortunately, these drivers become fatigued and can cause fatal accidents, injuring or killing themselves and their passengers. This is also a common problem among semi-truck drivers. According to the Washington, DC-based Advocates for Highway Safety, semi-truck drivers are involved in multi-vehicle crashes at almost two times the rate of passenger vehicles. Many times, truck drivers feel pressured to make deadlines and rack up as many miles as possible to increase their paycheck, and their focus on the road suffers as a result.

Our law firm has seen several serious accidents involving truck drivers colliding with cars as a result of driver fatigue, leading to severe injuries. While you may be responsible, safe, and focused on the road, this does not mean that everyone you are sharing the road with is as well. Defensive driving is especially important on truck-heavy roads and highways. If you have been in a truck accident caused by a semi-truck or charter bus driver and have suffered significant personal injuries, please contact our office for a free consultation.