New Government Survey Reveals Over 200,000 Unsafe Semi-Trucks on America’s Highways | Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer

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Newly released information from the American Association for Justice (AAJ) found commuters are sharing roads with trucks that have incurred thousands of safety violations – including defective brakes, bald tires, loads that dangerously exceed weight limits, and drivers with little or no training or drug and alcohol dependencies.

AAJ obtained data on the safety performance of U.S. trucking companies through the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), which is maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Over a million lines of data were analyzed by the AAJ to reveal just how many unsafe trucks and truck drivers are sharing our roads.

The States with the highest percentage of carrier companies with vehicles in violation of federal safety requirements were West Virginia, North Dakota, Nebraska, Vermont and Iowa. These violations result in serious injury and increased likelihood of causing death to you and your loved ones. Truck maintenance is often delayed or skipped altogether by trucking companies as a way to decrease costs and maximize profits.

According to the FMCSA:

* More than 4,000 people die every year in collisions with trucks and 80,000 more are seriously injured.

* Though trucks make up less than four percent of all passenger vehicles on U.S. roads, they are involved in 12 percent of all motor vehicles fatalities.

* The vast majority of people killed in accidents with trucks are the drivers and passengers of the cars that get hit.

“As millions of American families pack-up to hit the road for the Labor Day holiday, most are completely unaware they share the road with trucks that are ‘rigged for disaster’,” said AAJ President Anthony Tarricone. “It is the unsuspecting motorist who bears the cost when motor carrier companies put deadly trucks on the road and turn a blind eye to safety.”

Do you part to protect yourself and your fellow drivers; (1) give a wide berth to large trucks whenever possible, and (2) be sure to contact your local law enforcement whenever you see a suspicious or dangerous condition on any commercial vehicle.

This blog is provided by www.straighttalklaw.com, where you can order free books on Washington auto accidents, auto insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by Jason Epstein and his law practice Premiere Law Group in Seattle, Washington.