Texas Trucking Accident Attorney Says Roadcheck 2011 Reveals Truck Driver Fatigue Problem

East Texas personal injury lawyer Randy Roberts

If you look at these results, it’s clear that there is, indeed, a very serious problem with drivers spending too much time on the road.

Tyler, TX (PRWEB) August 03, 2011

The good news: The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recently reported that its Roadcheck 2011 had the lowest out-of-service rates since the commercial motor carrier safety program began in 1988.

The bad news: The overwhelming number of driver violations uncovered during the three-day event involved hours-of-service regulations, which are supposed to reduce fatigued truck driving.

“It amazes me when the trucking industry denies there is any widespread problem with drowsy driving,” says Randell C. “Randy” Roberts, a board-certified East Texas personal injury attorney. “If you look at these results, it’s clear that there is, indeed, a very serious problem with drivers spending too much time on the road. If we can’t rely on commercial carriers to act on their own to fix it, then we need new rules that will force them to address it.”

Law enforcement officials in Mexico and Canada partnered with the U.S. during the recent Roadcheck 2011, which was held June 7-9 at 2,550 locations across North America. According to the CVSA, 16 trucks or buses were inspected, on average, every minute for 72 hours by a certified inspector from the CVSA or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, resulting in 70,712 inspections.

Inspectors checked commercial driver’s licenses, medical exam certificates and record-of-duty status as well as brakes, tires, lights, load security and other major safety components. The CVSA reports that 95.8 percent of the drivers passed their inspections, while 80.7 percent of the buses, trucks, 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers passed.

However, among the drivers who were pulled out of service, more than half (52.5 percent) had violated the FMCSA’s hours-of-service rules, which are intended to keep fatigued truck drivers off the road. Only 14 percent of the drivers inspected were using electronic on-board recorders, or EOBRs, which are designed to ensure that truck drivers properly log the hours they spend behind the wheel.

“The longer a trucker is on the road, the higher the risk of accidents, injuries and deaths caused by tired driving,” says Roberts, whose East Texas personal injury law firm, Roberts & Roberts, has been recognized by Time, Newsweek, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and other national media outlets for its work on behalf of its clients.

Roberts, who has recovered substantial verdicts and settlements on behalf of numerous accident victims and their families, says the Roadcheck results show the need for tighter hours-of-service regulations and a mandatory EOBR requirement.

The FMCSA currently is considering proposed rules changes that would reduce driver hours and require that EOBRs be installed in certain types of commercial motor vehicles.

The East Texas trucking accident lawyer points out that, in a recent Wall Street Journal article, an official from the Virginia-based American Trucking Association trade group dismissed the proposed hours-of-service rules as “solutions looking for a problem.”

“With stronger rules and enforcement tools in place, the trucking industry would be forced to deal with this serious public safety issue,” Roberts says.

“It’s also important to take legal action if you or a loved one has been harmed by a negligent trucker or trucking company," he says. "By holding careless members of the trucking industry accountable for their wrongful conduct, you not only secure compensation for the losses you’ve suffered, but you also help to improve trucking safety for everyone.”

About Roberts & Roberts

Roberts & Roberts is a nationally recognized East Texas personal injury law firm that assists clients in bodily injury and wrongful death claims resulting from drunk drivers, auto accidents, auto defects, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents and oilfield injuries as well as accidents resulting from dangerous or defective products and unsafe equipment. The firm serves clients throughout Texas and the United States, including the communities of Tyler, Waco, Beaumont, Lufkin, Texarkana and Longview. Several Roberts & Roberts’ attorneys are board certified in personal injury or civil trial law. The firm also holds the highest rating (AV) from the Martindale-Hubbell Attorney Rating Service and is included in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. To learn more, call (800) 248-6000 or use the firm’s online contact form.

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