The Injury Board Commentary - Tractor-Trailer Accidents - Latest Comments

A comment on New Pennsylvania Law – Truck Drivers Must Provide Medical Certificate

Truckie D — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:11:35 GMT

Here in Indiana, we've had to provide a copy of our long form physical to the state for a number of years now. If you don't keep your physical current with the state, they automatically suspend your CDL (even for driving a car) until you provide them with a valid physical. You're also unable to renew your CDL unless you have a valid physical on file with them. Not a big deal really -- you just fax it to them, and it takes a few days for them to get it entered into their system.

Personally, I support such a measure, which may help to keep unqualified drivers off the road.

In Indiana, drivers are also required to carry a copy of their long form physical with them, rather than just a copy of the certification, which to me seems a bit redundant, since it's on file anyway.

In all the years I've been driving, when I get inspected the only thing I've ever seen the inspector look at anyway is the certification and expiration date.

td

A comment on Double Tractor-Trailer Accident Kills 1 on Interstate 35

Passing Through — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:47:21 GMT

Approximately 45,000 traffic deaths happen each year in the US. Less than 10% involve a commercial vehicle. (The firms website stated 11% involving "large" commercial trucks. Maybe the 1% were small commercial trucks.) More than 80% of those accidents are the fault of the non-commercial driver and less than 5%, where the commercial driver was at fault, were due to driver fatigue.

A comment on New Pennsylvania Law – Truck Drivers Must Provide Medical Certificate

joe — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:43:17 GMT

why does it have to be the truck driver to get investigated all the time? cars cause much more wrecks than trucks and half the time its a car that caused the wreck with the truck. why shouldnt the person in the the cat have to report their physical ability to drive a car. it seem like they are always after the truck driver.

A comment on Truckers and Fatigue Have Fatal Consequences

Philip Lewis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:18:32 GMT

Mr. Brown,

Let me preface my comment by sending my deepest condolences to the families of those sudents killed in the crash you mentioned. There is absolutely no excuse for any driver operating beyond their limit(s) on a public highway.

That said you have successfully turned everyone's attention to a misguided fact in which Michelle has shown is incorrect, that trucks cause a majority of highway accidents. Most people are in agreement with you as they are ignorant of the facts.

There is no doubt that there are flaws in the commercial transportation industry which compel a driver to drive beyond his/her limit to make more money or deliver a shipment on time just as there are flaws in many industries, some jeopardizing lives in the process.

My question to you is this, can you, your staff, or any one you associate with come up with constructive ideas that will improve the commercial transportation industry short of creating yet more restrictive legislation which only ultimately results in the average consumer not being able to afford the goods provided by said industry rather than merely demigrading the very people that bring these products to you?

A comment on How car accidents happen because of blind spots

Terry Bennington — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:50 GMT

Amber,

Yes - when backing-up there is a blind spot. Perhaps I should have indicated "while driving on the road, driving forward, changing lanes."

A comment on How car accidents happen because of blind spots

Amber Jean — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:29:28 GMT

Terry,
Unfortunately, it is incorrect that a driver is able to see the area behind their vehicle using their rear-view and side mirrors correctly. There is a blindzone behind ALL vehicles that the driver is not able to see, even when all mirrors are set correctly. For more information you can visit KidsAndCars.org's website.

A comment on How car accidents happen because of blind spots

Michael Monheit — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:19:08 GMT

Terry,
This is a useful approach that you point out and you are not alone in calling for this. Here are two articles that illustrate your point. More ... and More ...

A comment on How car accidents happen because of blind spots

Terry Bennington — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:03:44 GMT

Unfortunately, the vast majority of drivers create the blind spots by incorrectly pointing their SIDE-view mirrors directly behind them. Those SIDE-view mirrors should be adjusted so as a vehicle moves from view in the REAR-view mirror it becomes visible in the SIDE-view mirror.

I drive a motorcycle as my primary means of transportation. I watch the SIDE-view mirrors as I am overtaking any vehicle; when I can't see the driver's face, I'm in the "kill zone." In 2011, I counted three drivers who had their mirrors adjusted correctly (not counting trucks driven by professional drivers).

If people learned to adjust their mirrors correctly, we wouldn't be having this discussion!

A comment on Truckers and Fatigue Have Fatal Consequences

Pro Driver — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:28:17 GMT

Craig,
I think I can speak for every driver out there that needless and careless loss of life is tragic, and our condolences go out to ANY family thats suffered from a loss of a loved one. BUT that accident and needless loss is not directly related to us as an Industry, possibly to a few bad apples, but as a whole were family men and women, Providers for our children, wives and Loved ones, We dont condone reckless and unsafe behaviors and would more then likely report the same.

There have been some terrible accidents and unfortunately the media and other groups have chosen to make the everyday hardworking truck driver the scapegoat, and thats unfair to our business, our Industry, and OUR familys.

Again my heartfelt condolences to those familys and people injured...

A comment on Truckers and Fatigue Have Fatal Consequences

Craig Brown — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:09:58 GMT

First, I want to thank everyone who wrote a message about this article. I took your comments seriously, and I adjusted some of the language in the piece to more accurately deliver my message.
Second, although many of you had comments, none of you mentioned the case described in my article. Five young women died when their vehicle was struck by a truck whose driver was asleep at the wheel. That's the real subject that needs to be remembered.
Again, thanks for your comments