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What Happens When Trucking Companies Look the Other Way
Commercial truck drivers sometimes engage in dangerous practices on the road—often on a regular basis. While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has enacted and enforced strict regulations intended to prevent dangerous behaviors, some truck drivers and trucking companies continue to violate these rules, putting everyone on the road in danger.
When a trucking company learns of violations by its drivers, the company is expected to take action to discipline the driver—suspending or terminating him if needed—and to prevent such violations from continuing in the future. Some tractor-trailer drivers and trucking companies are willing to risk lives by ignoring safety regulations and some trucking companies will fail to take action and discipline truck drivers after learning about violations.
A few examples of items trucking companies inappropriately ignore include the following:
Hours of service violations – The FMCSA has hours of service limits in place to prevent fatigued driving. Many truck drivers fail to follow these hours of service limits because they are trying to make deliveries faster. Unfortunately, some trucking companies incentivize drivers to make faster deliveries, as that means higher profits. For this reason, some companies ignore or even encourage hours of service violations.
Impaired driving – Trucking companies are supposed to conduct random drug and alcohol tests to ensure that drivers are not operating tractor trailers while impaired. Some companies fail to conduct these tests because they don’t want to take action against drivers who fail the tests. In other situations, a company may try to cover up a failed test and continue to allow that driver to work.
Failure to Inspect – Drivers are supposed to conduct specific inspections before they start a leg of each trip. Sometimes drivers skip this step, which can lead to malfunctions and crashes. Trucking companies often fail to enforce the inspection requirement to avoid having to fix certain trucks or to allow drivers to stay on time for their delivery schedule.
Discuss Your Injuries with a Fairview Heights Truck Accident Lawyer Today
When trucking companies ignore driver violations, they should be held fully accountable for any crashes and injuries that result. If you have been injured in a truck collision, contact an experienced Fairview Heights truck accident attorney at Page Law today. Call 618-351-0890 for a free consultation today.
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