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Opponents worry that changes to regulations could increase truck accidents.

Will the Proposed Truck Safety Act Really Make the Roads Safer?Roughly 4,000 individuals lose their lives and 100,000 more suffer injuries in accidents involving big rig trucks every year. Much effort on the part of numerous different agencies has been directed towards reducing these numbers, and over the past year some significant changes to the regulations that govern the trucking industry have been proposed:

  • Requiring crash warning and lane departure warning systems for big rigs
  • Mandating the use of speed limiters (which are currently used by most trucking companies but are not mandatory)
  • Allowing trucks to tow two 33-foot trailers even in states where this is not allowed
  • Increasing the work week for truckers to 82 hours
  • Compensating truckers for all hours worked (not just driving hours)
  • Allowing 18-year-old truck drivers to cross state lines

The goal of these changes is of course to reduce the number and severity of truck accidents. Supporters of the changes estimate that 1,000 accidents could be prevented per year with the implantation of the Truck Safety Act.

Some of the changes do seem poised to support safety. Adding crash-avoidance technology to all big rigs would certainly help prevent accidents caused by cars in trucks’ blind spots. Making sure truckers get paid for time spent loading and unloading, not just for the miles they drive, could help reduce the pressure on drivers to stay on the road when they are tired as well as encourage drivers to spend more time carefully securing their loads.

The change allowing 18-year-old truckers to drive across state lines seems more troubling than it really is. In California, 18-year-olds can already hold CDLs and drive trucks inside our state—and is it really so much more dangerous to drive from LA to Las Vegas than from LA to San Francisco, just because a state border is involved?

The changes to the truckers’ work week could be a concern. Currently, the week includes 70 driving hours with a 34 hour rest period including two overnights between each work period. It is not clear whether the change to 82 hours will result in more drowsy drivers on the road, which could contribute to more truck accidents.

One change that everyone should be able to agree on as a positive is a mandatory increase to liability insurance coverage for trucking companies. Currently trucking companies are required to hold $750,000 in coverage—an amount that was set about 3 decades ago. Doubling this minimum coverage to $1.5 million would make it easier for victims of truck accidents to secure appropriate compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and other damages.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, do not hesitate to contact Attorney Vargas for expert help securing all the compensation you may be entitled to under the law. Get your free consultation by calling 909-982-0707 now.