Category: Truck Accidents

• November 26, 2018
• Evans & Herlihy

A fatigued driver is an unsafe driver. That’s the rationale behind the Hours of Service (HOS) rules that apply to the trucking industry. These rules, set in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (a division of the federal Department of Transportation), dictate how many consecutive hours a driver is allowed to drive his vehicle, as well as how long and how frequent his breaks must be. The goal, stated by the FMCSA, is “to keep fatigued drivers off the public roadways” and make sure that drivers stay awake and alert while driving. However, Hours of Service violations continue to be common among commercial truck drivers, and some in the industry are pushing for change. "Today's truckers have never faced more reg[...]

• August 20, 2018
• Evans & Herlihy

Every day, tractor-trailers share the roads with cars, pickups, and SUVs. But what some tractor-trailers don't share is the advanced safety technology that helps the passenger vehicles stay accident-free. According to Consumer Reports, research shows that safety features currently available in passenger cars, such as a forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB), are reducing crashes as they become more available. Now, experts are wondering if those features could help curb a disturbing trend: the increase in deaths in crashes involving large trucks. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37,461 people died on the road in 2016, the last year for which statistics are available – a[...]