Many fatal truck crashes involve rear-end collisions that occur when traffic slows or stops in roadway work zones.
With the American Trucking Association (ATA) forecasting an increase in the amount of goods transported by trucks, the trucking industry and shippers are pressing Congress to approve a new generation of heavier trucks. Heavier loads would increase the risk of rear-end collisions due to the time it takes a commercial truck to slow and stop. Currently, national weight standards for trucks is up to 30% heavier than most cars – which requires up to 40 percent more distance to stop than a passenger vehicle.
In a recent Newsweek article, Howard Abramson, former senior executive of ATA said, “This is a peculiar time for the trucking industry to be looking for a rule change that would degrade highway safety. While large truck fatalities have been skyrocketing — jumping 26 percent between 2009 and 2015 — truckers have continued to press Congress for the relaxation of the nation’s already less-than-vigorous safety enforcement.”
Passenger vehicles are no match for trucks loaded with freight. Thousands of innocent motorists are severely injured and killed each year in collisions involving trucks. If you have been injured, or have lost a loved one in an accident involving a commercial truck, please contact Cunningham Bounds at 251-471-6191. One of our personal injury lawyers will evaluate your case, free of charge. Our firm has a proven track record in handling trucking cases.