A road check program run across previous years will be implemented again in 2018 in order to enhance big rig safety.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has announced their official details of the program that ran from June 5 to June 7.
This three-day inspection event occurs all across the United States and inspects approximately 15 vehicles every single minute.
The road check program is designed to enhance compliance for some of the problems that can lead to trucking accidents and resulting injuries.
While these inspectors typically carry out what’s known as level one inspection, specific aspects are also highlighted every single year by the CVSA.
The 2017 focus was on cargo securement and the 2016 focus was on tires.
If an accident does happen and an evaluation after the fact reveals improper maintenance, an overtired trucker, or other compliance violations, the trucker and his/her company can be held liable.
The big rig safety focus for 2018 is on hours of service compliance.
Big rig safety involves a broad range of different topics and ideas including how often truckers are on the road, avoiding distracted driving, cutting down on drunk and drugged driving, and appropriate maintenance on the vehicle.
Level one inspections are extremely thorough as this is a 37-step procedure to verify big rigs safety.
The driver inspection includes possible drug and alcohol use, the medical examiner’s certificate, the CDL, hours of service compliance, seat belt usage, skill performance evaluation and record of duty compliance.
The vehicle inspection looks at the open top trailer and van, lighting devices, braking, fuel, exhaust and electrical systems and cargo securement.
The purpose of the program is to enhance big rig safety as far too many commercial vehicles are tied to devastating accidents all around the United States.
In 2016, more than 22 commercial vehicles were flagged for problems with big rig safety and this put these buses and trucks out of commission until the appropriate repairs could be made.
Big rig accidents may be prevented by properly training drivers, ensuring that every vehicle is safe for the road and carrying out regular inspection and maintenance to flag problems early on before they develop into serious issues.
In 2016, three major categories emerged as problematic for big rig safety issues.
These were drivers with the wrong license class, falsified log books and hours of service violations.
Usually, several hundred seat belt violations are also logged in these three-day big rig safety events.
The purpose of the big rig safety event is to get a handle on some of the biggest issues affecting the trucking industry today and how enhanced regulation and compliance can decrease the chances of someone being involved in a serious accident.
If you’ve been hurt in a big rig accident caused by someone else’s irresponsibility, schedule a consultation with an experienced attorney immediately.
The lawyers at McDonald Worley are available to help victims who have been hurt in trucking accidents.