Every year, state and federal regulators and safety organizations do what they can to improve the culture of the trucking industry and minimize accidents. Some of the most visible efforts are those conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. They conduct special inspections at sites around the country at different times. One occurred this week.
The focus of these road checks is to see how well trucking companies and truck drivers are following the rules and regulations. During the course of the latest 72-hour initiative, inspectors paid special attention to whether loads were properly secured. Results of the blitz are pending, but last year, critical violations that could contribute to serious or fatal accidents led inspectors to order thousands of trucks and drivers off the road.
Loose Loads Aren’t the Only Problem
Considering that companies and drivers know that these inspections are coming well in advance – like weeks or months – it’s surprising that anyone could be caught unaware. The fact that so many are and that so many semitrailer trucks get pulled out of service is testimony to the need for the examinations
Federal regulations are clear. Commercial vehicle drivers are required to keep a daily written record of inspections of their vehicles. Anything that could affect the vehicle’s operating safety is to be documented and reported so that it can be repaired. That could mean brakes, lights, tires, and more. Once fixed, a written certificate to that effect is required. Until that last step is completed, drivers can’t operate the vehicle.
Obviously, results of the yearly inspection blitzes confirm the rules are often ignored. That is something that attorneys experienced in this area of law understand, and they are in a strong position to apply that experience on behalf of accident victims entitled to compensation.
