More Safety-Focused Rules and Separation Highway Projects may be Necessary
The relationship between cars and trucks may be compared to children: “get along and play nice, or we’ll have to separate you.”
When a 2500 pound car impacts with an 80,000 pound tractor trailer truck it’s not a mystery as to which one will probably come out with more damage and injuries. According to the Institute for Highway Safety, in 2012 there were 3,514 deaths involving large trucks. Of these, 17 percent were truck occupants, 67 percent passenger auto occupants and 15 percent motorcycle and bicycle riders and pedestrians.
Separate lanes have been used around the country, but with limited success.
What’s been done to reduce car vs. truck accidents so far?
· The US Department of Transportation has mandated drug testing for truck drivers.
· Electronic monitoring has reduced driver fatigue by forcing rest-periods.
· Background checks for truck drivers are more accurate thanks to advances in computer databases.
What is planned for the future?
· Crash avoidance technology: There are now computer-operated cars, it’s only a matter of time for trucks.
· More truck-only lanes: Georgia plans to build two lanes limited to trucks along 38 miles of Interstate 75, a heavily travelled freight corridor south of Atlanta. It will be the largest truck-only project in the nation and is expected to cost $2 billion. Hopefully the project will be complete in 2030. In Florida, highway officials have struggled to keep truck traffic on the Florida Turnpike, but with the expensive tolls charged they are mostly opting for I-95 which is very over-crowded.
The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus in Fort Lauderdale helps people who have been injured in truck accidents as qualified truck accident attorneys. We have devoted a large part of our practice to this very specialized area which requires extensive knowledge of the statutes and rules that apply to the trucking industry. We are pleased to be one of the leading truck accident attorneys in the greater Fort Lauderdale are serving Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.
Please contact us any time at 954-356-0006 or click here to request an online contact. Thank you.
Edited by D. Lekov Cerxs
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