Truck Accidents

Published on: July 19, 2023

FMCSA Proposes Automatic Emergency Braking to Prevent Truck Accidents

Automatic emergency braking is slated to prevent hundreds of truck accidents involving commercial trucks every year after the federal administration proposed installation of these devices on all heavy trucks.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced a notice of proposed rule-making that would require all commercial vehicles to have automatic emergency braking systems on board. The goal of this rule would be to significantly reduce the incidence of rear -ender truck accidents involving commercial trucks and tractor trailers.

Automatic emergency braking systems are also available on passenger vehicles, and work by using sensors to detect if the vehicle is in danger of a collision with an object. The system uses sensors to detect an auto accident threat, and moves to apply the brakes if the driver has not already done so or to increase the emergency braking power if the driver has already applied the brakes. The system thereby works to help prevent a collision with another object or vehicle.

Published on: June 7, 2023

Understaffed Georgia State Patrol Could Mean Higher Auto Accident Risks

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The Georgia State Patrol has been steadily losing staff numbers, and there are fears that an understaffed agency could mean a higher risk of auto accidents on our already dangerous highways. When there are less police officers on the road to deter speeding and reckless driving, this conduct will only increase leading to more car accidents and pedestrian accidents.

According to reports, the Georgia State Patrol has been steadily and consistently losing staff members over recent years. In April 2022, the Georgia State Patrol had a total of 828 troopers. However, just a few months later in January 2023, that number had dropped to just 783.

This decline in staffing numbers at the Georgia State Patrol has been evident for a while now. Even as the number of vehicles on Georgia highways has increased exponentially, the number of troopers responsible for keeping these highways safe and responding to car accidents has not kept pace. For example, in 1977, 524 Georgia State Patrol troopers were assigned to keep motorists safe on the highways and respond to accident crises. In 2023, at one point, there were just 497 Georgia State Patrol troopers assigned to the highways, lower than they were at least 45 years ago. These 497 troopers were in charge of maintaining safety on highways that have a far denser population of motor vehicles than they had in 1977.

Published on: December 6, 2022

Auto Braking Cuts Pickup Truck Accident Rates, But Few Trucks are Equipped

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Auto braking systems that use sensors, cameras and other devices to determine whether the vehicle is too close to the vehicle in front can significantly reduce the risks of auto accidents involving pickup trucks. However, according to a new study, far too many pickup trucks are lacking this important safety feature.

Many automobiles now come with automatic braking systems that significantly reduce the risk of certain types of auto accidents, specifically rear-ender accidents. Pickup truck manufacturers have been slow to add these very important safety features to their vehicles. A new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety lays down exactly how important automatic braking systems are for pickup trucks.

The study used data from 25 states between 2007 and 2012, and the researchers found in their analysis that the rate of rear-end car accidents involving pickup trucks was 43% lower in cases in which the truck was equipped with an automatic braking system. In cases of auto accidents involving an injury, the rate was 42% lower in the case of pickup trucks equipped with automatic braking systems. Overall, there was a 73% reduction in the number of injurious and fatal car accidents involving pickup trucks, when these vehicles were equipped with auto braking systems.

Published on: November 30, 2022

Many of Nation’s Deadliest Roads Run Through Georgia with the highest car accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new list of the most dangerous roads in the country includes at least three interstates that run through the state of Georgia. These highways are already very well known in the state for the large number of auto accidents that they see every year.

The list was compiled by Zebra car insurance company. The company used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System to identify the states and cities that are home to the most dangerous roads in the country based on the number of car accidents and fatal crashes that occur on these roads. The company specifically looked at the number of car accident deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

Taking top position, to no one’s surprise is Interstate 95, a notoriously dangerous stretch of highway that has long been known for the large number of car accidents, including fatal auto accidents, that occur here. Interstate 95 has long held the title of the country’s most dangerous highway. According to data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, a total of 284 people were killed in car accidents on interstate 95. This highway has a fatality toll rate of 14.88 deaths for every 100,000 miles traveled. By any comparison, those are disturbing statistics.

Published on: September 20, 2022

Report Predicts Motor Vehicles will Remain Main Source of Auto Accidents in Future Rather than bicycles and pedestrians

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new report commissioned by the National Safety Council has a number of auto safety predictions for the next couple of decades, including the prediction that even with new technology, cars and trucks will continue to remain the biggest source of auto accidents for the foreseeable future.

In 2021, the National Safety Council commissioned a report on transportation and auto safety for the next 20 years. The report titled Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20 Years has now been released. The report has a total of 10 predictions, all related to auto and motor vehicle safety.

The number one prediction on the list is that in spite of moves towards reducing the number of automobiles on our roads and increasing access to alternate modes of transportation, motor vehicles, including cars and trucks will continue to remain the primary source of auto accidents over the next few decades. These vehicles are involved in an overwhelming majority of the total number of motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents every year.

Published on: July 29, 2022

Feds Finalize Rules to Protect Motorists in Underride Truck Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

The administration has finalized a rule that is meant to protect motorists and drivers of light passenger vehicles from serious injuries in a truck accident with large commercial trucks for tractor trailers.

A serious underride truck accident can involve devastating personal injuries, including decapitation. In these truck accidents, the motorist may hit the back of the tractor trailer, resulting in the smaller passenger vehicle sliding under the tractor trailer. Head and neck personal injuries are common in such types of truck accidents, and decapitation is not unheard of either.

For years now, passenger safety advocates have called for stricter restrictions on the design of commercial trucks and 18-wheelers that will prevent such truck accidents from taking place. The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced that it has finalized rules that will update the current federal standards for underride protection. As part of the rule, trucks must come with rear impact guards that will absorb the energy of the impact, and prevent motorists from sliding under the tractor trailer.

Published on: June 4, 2022

Feds Record 13% Increase in Trucking Accident Deaths in 2021

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

2021 was a deadly year for truckers and other persons involved in accidents with large commercial trucks and 18-wheelers. The latest data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reflected a 13% increase in the number of deaths in accidents involving large trucks last year, compared to 2020.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its latest traffic crash data for 2021, and the figures are bleak. Overall, traffic fatalities were up by as much as 10.5% from 2020. Interestingly, many of these fatal accidents occurred during the day time and on rural or artery roads. Overall, these were the highest traffic accident death numbers on record since 2005. Many in the industry and in the federal administration believe that these rates are at “crisis levels”.

The news on the trucking safety front was not much better. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration considered any commercial truck weighing at or above 10,000 pounds as a large truck for the purposes of data collection. The figures included not just smaller trucks, but also non-commercial trucks. There were a total of 5,601 deaths involving truck accidents in 2021, compared to a total of 4,965 accident deaths the previous year, a significant 13 percent increase. Increases in deaths in crashes involving at least one truck were recorded in all months, except January, February and October of last year.

Published on: May 24, 2022

Feds Move Forward with Truck Speed Limiter Rulemaking

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An accident with a tractor trailer truck is one of the worst types of motor vehicle accidents, and they usually result in serious if not fatal injuries. If there’s one thing that safety advocates as well as the trucking industry agree on, it is the need for speed limiters on commercial trucks. The federal administration recently announced its intention to move forward with rule making on this critical safety issue.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently issued its Notice of Intent that shows its intent to move forward with rulemaking on the issue of requiring speed limiters on commercial trucks and tractor trailers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it has been able to identify that speed is a critical safety issue when it comes to large commercial trucks and 18 -wheelers. The agency identifies speed management as a critically important precautionary measure that can help reduce the risk of serious injuries and fatalities involving truck accidents.

The administration has focused on the problem of high speeds involving commercial truck for a while now. The new notice of intent follows up on a proposal that was determined in 2016 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2016 proposal called for the installation of speed limiters on trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds. However, the proposal did not determine a maximum speed limit. That will now happen with the federal administration’s new move in this regard. Over a period of time and with inputs from not just American trucking groups, but also the public, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will be able to determine a speed limit for commercial trucks.

Published on: April 29, 2022

Truck Driver Drug Use Continues to be Major Factor in Accidents

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Tractor trailer accidents are some of the worst motor vehicle accidents. Truck driver drug use is a significant factor in accidents, and new data shows that this continues to be so. The federal administration’s latest report on drug test violations confirms that the risk from truck drivers operating under the influence of drugs is very much real and present.

In fact, according to the data by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there was a significant increase of 10% in drug violations in 2021, compared to the same period of time in 2020. The number of actual positive test results increased by approximately 3% to a total of approximately 55,200. The administration considered a refusal to take a test as a violation which could explain the 10% increase.

However, the data also finds that there has been a significant 10% increase in positive test results for cocaine and a 5.4 % increase in positive test results for marijuana. The number of truck drivers abusing cocaine while driving could actually be much higher than the official estimate because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration currently does not include the results of hair tests for cocaine.

Published on: April 5, 2022

Truck Drivers Call for Increased Parking Facilities

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

An accident with a tractor trailer truck most often ends up causing catastrophic if not fatal injuries. Driver fatigue is a major factor in the thousands of trucking accidents that occur in and around Georgia as well as around the country ever year. To combat this, it is crucial that truckers get a chance to rest and get refreshed during their workday, and trucking groups are now calling for rest facilities to be expanded.

President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package allocates millions of dollars for transportation spending. Trucking groups as well as driver advocates are calling on the administration to use some of that money and invest it in the expansion of truck stops for drivers. Truck drivers often drive long distances that they are expected to travel all alone. That can increase the risk of fatigue and tiredness. Besides, truck drivers are mandated to drive only for a fixed number of hours before they are required to rest. The problem is that appropriate rest facilities are hard to find. You can hardly park a massive 80,000- pound tractor trailer by the side of the road. Designated truck stops have not just parking facilities where truckers can park their vehicles for a few hours while they sleep, but also offer food, refreshments and other facilities.

The American Trucking Associations and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association are calling on Transportation head Pete Buttigieg to allocate funds for the expansion of these facilities around the country. They claim that as many as 98 percent of truck drivers find it hard to find a good truck stop or rest area for them to rest before they commence driving. They say they spend almost an hour away or more trying to find safe spots, instead of resting.