Law & Information
Federal Officials Ban Texting by Truck and Bus Drivers
Federal officials have banned hand-held cell phones and texting by drivers of large commercial trucks and buses. This should serve as an effective way of preventing the dangers of distracted driving. According to a Reuters news report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced that the ban on handheld cell phones and texting while driving will take effect immediately for large truck and bus drivers. The new ban carries fines of up to $2,750. However, federal officials have not yet come up with an enforcement plan, which is key to making sure that the ban actually works.
Distracted driving on U.S. roadways has resulted in thousands of fatalities and many more injuries. The National Safety Council estimates that texting while driving causes approximately 200,000 car accidents each year. At least 24 states have issued handheld cell phone and texting bans and others are in the process of enforcing similar laws. It is absolutely important for commercial trucks that cross state boundaries to be mandated by federal law to follow these safety rules. Distracted driving, especially by a truck driver who has an 80,000-pound vehicle at his control, can be disastrous. Federal officials will hopefully find a way to enforce this law, which will certainly go a long way in keeping our roadways safer. Getting this law passed, however, is a good first step.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington tractor-trailer accident, please contact the experienced Washington truck accident lawyers of The Bernard Law Group at 1-800-418-8282 or info@bernardlawgroup.com for a FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation and case evaluation. We can also send you our FREE brochure, which has useful educational information to help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.
Source:http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2010/01/26/106860.htm
Government Will Issue New Rule to Shorten Truckers’ Hours of Service
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have agreed to change truck drivers’ hours-of-service regulations. This is a move by the Obama Administration to settle a lawsuit brought by several consumer safety advocacy groups including Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Truck Safety Coalition and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The action was filed after a ruling issued by the Bush administration dramatically expanded driving and working hours by allowing truckers to drive up to 11 consecutive hours instead of 10 per shift. That rule also cut off-duty rest and recovery time at the end of the week from a full weekend of 50 or more hours to as little as 34 hours.
This created an extremely dangerous situation on our roadways putting tired and fatigued truckers on the road. This settlement basically requires the government to draft a new proposed rule governing hours of service within nine months and to publish a final rule within 21 months.
As Washington truck accident attorneys, we at The Bernard Law Group welcome this settlement. Every day, truck drivers fall asleep in their cabs because they work too long with too little rest, causing catastrophic accidents. Very often, truck companies allow this to happen and even encourage their drivers to falsify logs because they want to increase their profits by delivering more goods within a shorter period of time. Unrealistic schedules and truckers’ extremely long work hours combine to make a deadly combination, which results in tragedies for the driving public.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Washington truck accident, the skilled and aggressive Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group can help. We will make sure that your legal rights are protected and that you are compensated fairly for the injuries and losses you have suffered as a result of someone else’s negligence. Call Kirk Bernard today for a free consultation and evaluation of your Washington truck accident claim.
