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August 16, 2010
RecordPub.com: Mother Killed and Two Sons in Critical Condition
after Multi Vehicle Crash Involving Three Semis
A woman is dead and her two young sons in critical condition after a multi-vehicle accident involving five cars and three tractor trailers occurred near the 190-mile marker of the Ohio Turnpike on Monday. According to authorities, the woman and her two sons were traveling on the eastbound lane of the turnpike when they were struck by a tractor trailer. Their vehicle was then pushed into the rear corner of a second tractor trailer. The 47-year-old mother was pronounced dead at the scene and her two sons – a 10-year-old and a a16-year-old – were rushed to the hospital by helicopter where they remain in critical condition. The fatal crash remains under investigation.
September 5, 2008
Ventura County Star: Man is killed, 4 are injured when rig hits members of work-release crew
A flatbed truck owned by Nabors Well Services out of Bakersfield, CA, crashed into a car, then a Caltrans work crew, killing one person and critically injuring two. The truck was traveling westbound on Highway 126 when it veered onto the right shoulder, struck a curb, then swerved, hitting a car and then the work crew. The crash is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
July 21, 2008
CBS News: Study: Unfit Truckers A Deadly Road Hazard
According to a GAO study, that will be released later this week, 563,000 commercial truck drivers were determined by the Veterans Affairs Dept., Social Security Administration or the Labor Department are eligible for for full disability benefits due to health issues. That doesn't necessarily mean a driver is unfit to operate a commercial vehicle, but investigators found alarming examples that raised doubts about safety. More than 1,000 drivers with hearing, vision or seizure disorders had valid commercial licenses. In 2006, more than 5,300 people died in crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses. Approximately 126,000 people were injured. There were cases where the drivers fell asleep, had seizures or heart attacks or were somehow otherwise impaired. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will conduct oversight hearings this week. There is a proposal that would create a clearinghouse for drug test results to make it easier for employers to conduct checks.
July 17, 2008
A tractor trailer slammed into 10 vehicles on Highway 40 in Missouri, killing two people and injuring 16. The driver was driving for Holmes Transport and the Missouri Highway Patrol is blaming driver inattention on the part of the truck driver. Anonymous sources told a local television station that the driver was distracted by his cell phone. Holmes Transport has its headquarters in Alabama.
July 2, 2008
Citizen-Times: Trucker had warnings before crash
Four passengers from an SUV were injured after a tractor trailer accident in Asheville, North Carolina. The driver of the SUV was upgraded from serious to fair condition while the other three passengers remain in critical condition. The vehicle was stopped in the left lane on westbound Interstate 40 for tree trimming when the truck slammed into it. The truck driver, from West Virginia, could face charges. That impact caused a seven vehicle pile up.
July 1, 2008
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, suggests that commercial vehicle drivers that drive after a break appear to be one of the greatest traffic risks. The study also indicates that there is a risk for a safety critical event and not only on the first day, but also within the first hour. The safety critical events were classified as three types: near-crash, crash relevant conflict and crash. Observed were 2,899 safety critical events including 13 crashes, eight tire strikes, 61 near crashes, 1,594 crash relevant conflicts, 16 illegal maneuvers and 1,215 unintentional lane deviation. The commercial drivers were classified in three categories: short haul which is less than 100 miles, medium which is 100 to 500 miles and long haul which is over 500 miles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is reviewing the the relationship between this study and the study which was undertaken to determine the safety of driving a truck over a period of one to 11 hours back in April.
June 27, 2008
TruckNews.com: Drivers at highest risk on first day back after break: study
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, suggests that commercial vehicle drivers that drive after a break appear to be one of the greatest traffic risks. The study also indicates that there is a risk for a safety critical event and not only on the first day, but also within the first hour. The safety critical events were classified as three types: near-crash, crash relevant conflict and crash. Observed were 2,899 safety critical events including 13 crashes, eight tire strikes, 61 near crashes, 1,594 crash relevant conflicts, 16 illegal maneuvers and 1,215 unintentional lane deviation. The commercial drivers were classified in three categories: short haul which is less than 100 miles, medium which is 100 to 500 miles and long haul which is over 500 miles. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is reviewing the the relationship between this study and a study which was undertaken to determine the safety of driving a truck over a period of one to 11 hours back in April. The two studies show a trend.
May 21, 2008
Public Citizen: New National Poll Shows Americans Dislike Larger, Trucks on U.S. Highways
Executives in the shipping and trucking industries have lobbied members of Congress for longer and heavier trucks. They want to create a "demonstration project" in six states where the truck size and weight of the trucks will rise from 80,000 pounds up to 97,000 pounds. These trucks are harder to control, take longer to stop and cause faster deterioration of roads and bridges. Congress is faced with this truck industry request as it prepares next year to reauthorize the multi-billion dollar surface transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU). According to Public Citizen, Congress must consider, not only the lives lost in crashes involving large trucks but the burden they put on the nation’s infrastructure. Large truck crashes, on average, kill 5,000 people every year and injure more than 100,000.
April 22, 2009
KABC TV Channel 7 Los Angeles: CHP Launches Public Awareness of
Commercial Trucks Safety Program
At a press conference held on April 22, 2009, in Irvine, California, the California Highway Patrol launched its Public Awareness of Commercial Trucks (PACT) program, which will educate drivers on avoiding crashes with big rigs. According to the CHP, more than 75 percent of truck-related fatalities are caused by passenger vehicle drivers. The CHP joins with the California Truckers Association in the education effort, which will provide seminars on vehicle safety around commercial trucks.
January 7, 2008
Public Citizen: Bush Administration Flouts Law on NAFTA Trucks Pilot Program,
Boosts Number of Carriers on U.S. Roads
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) announced today that another Mexico-based carrier, Madereria Las Lomitas, is now authorized to send a truck throughout U. S. roads. Fifty-seven trucks from 12 Mexico-based carriers are no longer restricted to the U.S. border zone. The announcement came immediately after the Bush administration's statement that it would continue with the NAFTA trucks pilot program even though President Bush signed into law an omnibus appropriations bill that cut funds for the program.
January 2, 2008
Today's Trucking Online: U.S. DOT proposes mandatory training rules
The government has proposed new commercial driver training rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed that individuals seeking to obtain a commercial driver's license will be required to complete both classroom and behind-the-wheel training from an accredited education program or institution. Three years after the effective date of the rule, the driver would be required to have 76 hours of classroom instruction and 44 hours of behind- the-wheel training for a Class A license. For a Class B license, which is required for large "box" or van trucks, a minimum of 58 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours behind-the-wheel training will be required. The training curriculum includes safety regulations, vehicle operation and safe operating practices.
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