Georgia drivers who value safety will be interested in learning the results from a targeted effort by commercial vehicle regulators that took place at the beginning of summer. The three-day initiative resulted in over 67,000 roadside inspections and the suspension of operating privileges for a large number of trucks and drivers. Since transport trucks operate side-by-side with school buses and everyday commuters, compliance with safety regulations are the concern of everyone on the roadways.
During the first week in June, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance conducted its annual International Roadcheck, which enlists regulatory and law enforcement officials across North America. The goal is to increase commercial vehicle safety compliance heading into the busy summer highway traffic season. During this year’s effort, a total of 67,502 roadside inspections were completed. Those inspections ranged in intensity from Level I to Level III. Driver logs and records were also inspected with varying degrees of scrutiny. Over one-fifth of all trucks inspected were taken out of service for some type of safety violation. Two percent of drivers were also at least temporarily sidelined for various reasons, but the most common was violation of hours-of-service regulations. This means that truckers were driving too many hours without the required rest breaks or were otherwise not properly documenting their logbooks.
The most commonly cited vehicle safety infraction leading to trucks being taken out of service was faulty braking systems. Over 28 percent of disqualified trucks had this issue while 19 percent had unsafe tires or wheels. Another 16 percent of disqualified vehicles had improperly calibrated brakes. When commercial vehicles are operating at less than peak safety, it puts passenger vehicles and their occupants at risk. This is especially true if big rig drivers are working with dulled reflexes from a lack of rest.
Whenever there is a truck wreck, there should be a thorough examination of both the truck’s maintenance records and the individual driver’s safety history. A qualified commercial vehicle accident lawyer may look for these and other essential records to assist victims in getting compensation for their commercial vehicle claim.
