US Truck Accidents
Truck Accidents and The United States Department of Transportation
Congress created the Department of Transportation (DOT) on October 15, 1966 to help ensure the U.S. would have a safe, efficient, and convenient transportation system for its cars and trucks. Transportation safety is one of, if not the biggest, priority of the DOT. The loss of lives and the cost of truck and semi-truck accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, bus accidents, and other transportation-related accidents is colossal. The improvement of transportation safety continues to be one of the main goals of the United States Department of Transportation.
In 2007, $15.9 billion was requested for overall transportation safety funding for the United States. The $15.9 billion was requested to fund numerous safety programs and initiatives. Some of these programs and initiatives include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Accident Statistics: Truck Accidents, Tractor Trailer Accidents, Bus Accidents, and Other Vehicle Accidents
It is estimated that 42,643 people died in truck crashes, semi-truck crashes, tractor trailer crashes, bus crashes, and other types of motor vehicle crashes on our Nation's highways and interstates in 2005. The estimated yearly cost of traffic crashes is more than $230 billion. This amount includes, but is not limited to, costs related to injuries and property, lawsuits, as well as damage to the highways, interstates, and roadways, caused primarily by 18-wheeler accidents (also known as "big rig collisions.")
It is estimated that large trucks, including semis and 18-wheelers, make up approximately four percent of registered vehicles in the United States. These big rigs make up approximately eight percent of the actual travel volume on our Nation's interstates, highways, and roadways.
A staggering 12% of people killed in motor vehicle accidents are related to large trucks. In 2004, approximately 116,000 sustained personal injuries and approximately 5,190 people killed (wrongful death) in large truck accidents. If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, tractor trailer accident, or bus accident, it is crucial that you contact a St. Louis truck collision attorney who is experienced in handling these cases. Our truck accident lawyers practice exclusively in the area of personal injury law and have superior knowledge of trucking regulations and a vast amount of experience in dealing with trucking companies and their insurance carriers. Because of the serious nature of truck wrecks and the destruction of evidence that goes on, our tractor-trailer injury attorneys can be reached toll free, 24 hours a day at 1-800-CAR-CRASH (1-800-227-2727). Call us with any questions or concerns you have related to a personal injury or wrongful death. If requested by you, we will immediately alert our truck accident team and begin taking the same steps as the truck company and their insurance company. The call and consultation are free. There is no fee unless we recover for you. You can also contact us with any questions by filling out our Free Online Truck Accident Consultation.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Truck Accidents
The main objective of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to prevent injuries and deaths related to large truck accidents, tractor trailer accidents, bus accidents, and other commercial motor vehicle accidents. As part of its goal to reduce these types of accidents the DOT created the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA.) The FMCSA is a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation that was created on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. The FMCSA has its base in Washington, DC and employs more than one thousand people all over the country.
In 2004, it has been said that there were 2.29 deaths related to large truck accidents for every 100 million truck vehicle-miles traveled. The FMCSA claims they are making significant attempts to reduce the injuries in crashes involving trucks (large trucks, tractor trailers, buses, etc.) The FMCSA claims a five percent decrease in truck related injuries from 2003 to 2004. The FMCSA further claims the aggressive enforcement of the FMCSA's primary safety strategy has proven effective in reducing crashes, fatalities, hazardous materials releases, and injuries related to truck and semi-truck accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, etc.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Were Created To Reduce The Number of Truck Accidents On Our Nations Highways & Interstates
It is apparent from reading the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) that their primary mission is to reduce truck accidents, tractor trailer accidents, bus accidents, personal injury, and fatalities (wrongful death) involving large trucks and buses in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. An experienced personal injury attorney who handles truck accident cases regularly will be able to show you how the FMCSR apply to your specific truck accident case.
It has been stated that $223 million has been requested for the 2007 budget to fund motor carrier program activities that are geared toward reducing crashes, saving lives, and preventing injuries on our Nation's interstates and highways. The following is a summary of the 2007 budget request that has been aimed at meeting the United States Department of Transportation's goals and targets:
- Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety: Of the $223 million, $172.3 million is for reducing the number and severity of commercial truck accidents and bus accidents. Several ways this will be attempted include: addressing motor carrier standards and rule-making; increasing carrier and driver compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations; enforcing safety regulations at the borders; extending motor carrier safety education and best practices; overseeing certification of physical qualifications to operate motor carriers; improving commercial motor vehicle safety information and analysis; and advancing technological solutions;
- Hazardous Materials Safety: Of the $223 million, $10.2 million is for reducing the number and severity of the hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents as they relate to commercial motor vehicle (large trucks, tractor trailers, etc.);
- Hazardous Materials Security: Of the $223 million, $8.1 million is for improving the security related to the transportation materials;
- Commercial Motor Vehicle Productivity: Of the $223 million, $2.1 million is for improving the efficiency and integrity of commercial truck and bus transportation. One way this will be attempted is through ensuring compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Regulations and maintaining a nationwide safety violation and consumer complaints hotline;
- Organizational Excellence: Of the $223 million, $30.1 million is for meeting certain objectives of the President's Management Agenda.
In addition to the $223 million detailed above, numerous Motor Carrier Safety Grants have been requested to maintain aggressive State enforcement of interstate (state to state) commercial truck and bus regulations. This is an attempt to meet the DOT's strategic goals and performance targets. The Motor Carrier Safety Grants go towards both Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety and Hazardous Materials Safety. A summary of some of these grant requests include:
- The Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) State Grants: The grants totaling $201 million are to be used to support State motor carrier compliance reviews; conduct roadside inspections; enforce violations noted in roadside inspections; and ensure that new commercial trucking companies pass a safety audit within the first eighteen months of operations in order to obtain permanent registration;
- Safety Data Improvement Grants: This $3 million grant will be used for States to purchase equipment to support certain data improvement programs, revise old crash forms, hire additional staff to code crash data, enter crash data, train officers in collecting crash information, develop new software in relation to SAFETYNET, and purchase software for data collection and transfer;
- State Commercial Drivers' License (CDL): Twenty Five Million Dollars is included to improve CDL oversight activities in individual states and to prevent unqualified drivers from receiving a CDL;
- Hazmat Materials Safety: Nine million dollars in grants is requested for programs to support State HAZMAT enforcement and regulatory compatibility Mexico & Canada borders.
- Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) Grants: These $25 million grants will be used create a program in which State enforcement officials can exchange safety information. This exchange will allow high-risk and previously un-inspected commercial vehicles and operators to be monitored;
- Performance Registration Information Systems and Management (PRISM): This $5 million grant will be used for linking MVR systems with carrier safety data, This will help allow the agency to potentially identify unsafe commercial trucks and busses before an accident occurs;
- International Border Enforcement: These $32 million in grants will help enforce the safety standards at our Nation's international borders ( Mexico, Canada, etc.); and
- Commercial Drivers License Information System (CDLIS): These funds which total $7 million, will allow the FMCSA to work with the American Association of Motor Vehicles Administrators (AAMVA) in an attempt to complete specifications for the new CDLIS system. In addition, these funds will be used to provide State grants to which will be used for updating the State's licensing system to include the new CDLIS requirements.
Every personal injury attorney that is experienced in handling truck accident cases will be able to tell you the facts of most truck accident cases they have handled. Personal injury lawyers will tell you there are usually a few facts from every case that stick in the attorneys mind. For instance, in a current truck accident case I am handling, the police officer saw brake pads lying in the passenger seat. It is not a violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to have brake pads on your passenger seat per se, but it is a violation to not have them on the truck if the one's on the truck are bad. I use this as an example to show that every rule, regulation, or law in the world will not keep truck accidents from happening. The truck companies need to have a system in place to make sure the rules, regulations, and laws are being followed. A good portion of the time when a personal injury attorney is investigating a truck accident he/she will uncover facts that show the truck company was not doing all it could be or all it should be doing in regard to making sure the company and its drivers were in compliance with the FMCSR. And in fact, the company is usually in violation themselves as they are responsible for their trucks.
If you or a loved one needs to speak with a personal injury lawyer experienced in handling truck accident cases or Missouri tractor trailer accident cases, we can be reached toll free, 24 hours a day at 1-800-CAR-CRASH (1-800-227-2727). Call us with any questions or concerns you have related to a personal injury or wrongful death that has resulted from a truck accident. If you request, we will immediately alert our truck accident team and begin taking the same steps as the truck company and their insurance company. The call and consultation are free. There is no fee unless we recover for you. You can also contact us with any questions by filling out our Free Online Truck Accident Consultation.
