Home » Law Enforcement Articles » Proposed Limit on the Trucking Industry
Proposed Limit on the Trucking Industry
Advocates seek to limit size and weight of semi trucks, limit driver hours-of-service for the safety of all on the road.
August 05, 2011 /Law Enforcement PR News/ -- Highlighting the push for interstate trucking-law reform with stories of families torn apart by trucking accidents, advocacy groups are asking Congress to make roads safer by strengthening trucking laws. According to Joan Claybrook, chairwoman of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, 4,000 people are killed and approximately 100,000 more are injured in semi truck accidents each year.
The proposed Safe Highways and Infrastructure Protection Act, if passed, would cap semi truck size and weight at the current federal limits, not allow big rigs that are overweight to operate, and create a program for enforcement of federal size and weight restrictions. Introduced by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), the bill serves to prevent wear-and-tear caused by heavier trucks on federal roadways and would help to maintain the safety gains that current rules have achieved.
In addition, safety advocates and the truck drivers' union are seeking a crack down on tired truck drivers. By law, semi drivers are subject to the rules of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), including rules mandating the keeping of logbooks and a limit on the hours-of-service (HOS) that a driver can work. In December 2010, the FMCSA proposed a rule that would amend the HOS rules by reducing the driving window to 10 hours and requiring that drivers take two nights (defined as midnight to 6 a.m.) off before resetting their work hours.
The current rules governing the trucking industry were implemented in 2003. Since then, safety, in terms of injury and fatality crash rates, has improved by 30 percent, according to American Trucking Association President Bill Graves. And, the FMSCA reports that 2009 was the safest year since 1975 in terms of fatalities per 100 million miles driven.
While these statistics show that the safety record of the trucking industry is improving, they are not a comfort to those that are injured or the families of people killed in accidents with 18-wheelers. More can be done to improve the safety of the roads for everyone.
If you or a loved one is involved in an accident with a semi truck, speak with an experienced personal injury attorney in your area about your legal options.
Article provided by Bohrer Law Firm, LLC
Visit us at www.bohrerlaw.com
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com |
|
|
Press Release Contact Information:
Findlaw PR
|
|
|
|
|
| LAW ENFORCEMENT ARCHIVE SEARCH |
|
|
| |
| SUBMIT LAW ENFORCEMENT NEWS |
|
|
| |
|
|
Advertise With Us |
About Us |
Contact Us