The rate of serious truck accidents across Mississippi and much of the nation has left many safety experts and concerned drivers wondering what is behind the increasing accident rates and what we can do to increase truck safety. CNBC recently aired an investigative report exploring the trucking industry and the many safety concerns surrounding it. The report unveiled an alarming 18 percent rise in the rate of fatal truck accidents between 2009 and 2012. This increase in accidents comes despite overall improvements in driver safety. According to the CNBC report, there are a number of reasons why commercial truck accidents continue to occur, including:
- Lack of Safety Technology
In recent years, a number of truck safety devices have been developed in an effort to increase overall safety in the industry. Some of these technologies come at minimal additional expense. Despite these inexpensive advances, only 10 percent of all commercial trucks use safety technology. Technologies like the automatic braking systems can assist trucks in stopping on time when another vehicle comes too close. Lane departure warning systems can help ensure truckers stay safely in their lanes. These technologies are readily available, yet underutilized in the industry. Other technologies are poised to release in the future, including driverless trucks. When these high tech options become available to the public, the rate of truck accidents could decrease significantly.
- Repeat Offenders
Federal and state trucking safety regulations are intended to prevent truck accidents in Mississippi and elsewhere across the country, but enforcing these rules and preventing unsafe drivers and trucks from using the roadways is more difficult than many realize. According to a CNBC investigative report, up to 20 percent of all commercial trucks inspected in 2012 were considered unsafe to be on the roads due to service violations, including poor tires and brakes. This equates to over two million unsafe trucks on the road any given day. In addition, about five percent of drivers inspected had serious violations that should have prevented them from driving. Approximately 170,000 unsafe drivers remain on the roadways.
- Chameleon Carriers
Linked to the problem of repeat offenders is the troubling existence of so-called chameleon carriers. The phrase chameleon carrier is used to describe trucking companies that change their names in order to dodge legal troubles and lawsuits stemming from rule violations. According to CNBC’s investigative report, these ever changing companies often hire unsafe drivers and are lax on safety policies. In fact, in their investigations, CNBC uncovered at least one company who hired a driver with a history of hitting a pedestrian and elicit drug use. The company changed its name and continued to allow the driver to operate one of its vehicles. Due to overall under-regulation in the trucking industry, it is difficult to crack down on these chameleon carriers. As such, they continue to fly under the radar, disappearing and reappearing when necessary, all while posing a substantial safety risk to the public.
Barrett Law PLLC: Mississippi Truck Accident Attorneys Dedicated to Pursuing Victim Rights
The troubling increase in the rate of truck accidents across Mississippi and much of the U.S. has led many safety experts desperate to uncover ways of preventing such accidents. The Mississippi Truck Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are alarmed by the rising rate of truck accidents and will do all we can to hold negligent truck drivers accountable for the injuries and deaths they cause. At Barrett Law PLLC, our attorneys have the passion, experience, and knowledge to obtain the results you desire. Call Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free consultation with one of our seasoned truck accident attorneys.