Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

More than 9 months after a tanker truck drove off the free way, rolled over, and exploded into flames in Indianapolis, the National Traffic Safety Board met in Washington DC to discuss how to prevent more tanker rollover accidents form happening. Five people were injured in the truck crash involving a tanker transporting nearly 12,000 gallons of liquefied petroleum.

While tanker trucks make up 6% percent of the total number of large trucks in the US, 31% of all commercial truck rollover accidents involve tankers—that’s 1,265 US cargo tanker truck accidents a year. One reason for this is when the tanker turns, its center of gravity shifts, which cause the liquid being transported to also move. This can prove fatal in the event of a truck accident.

At the hearing yesterday, panelists talked about whether mandatory stability controls should be imposed on tuckers and if trailers and tractors should also meet such a requirement. Electronic stability systems would not only determine when the truck’s weight is about to shift, but the computer could automatically activate the breaks to help compensate for the weight change to prevent a rollover crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that 106 lives could be saved and almost 3,500 rollover accidents prevented if trucks and trailers were forced to meet such a requirement. The panelists talked about how properly training tanker truck drivers charged with carrying such dangerous materials could help prevent some tanker truck accidents.

Over 100,000 loads a day are dispatched on tanker trucks. NHTSA intends to finish its examination of the benefits of stability control systems for trucks by year’s end.

Our Washington DC tanker truck accident lawyers are very familiar with the devastation that these crashes can wreak on the lives of the victims and their families.

NHTSA: New technology can prevent truck rollovers, AP/Richmond-Times Dispatch, August 3, 2010

Tractor trailer trucks facing madatory changes, WishTV, August 3, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Transportation Safety Board

NHTSA

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

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The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a federal rule that would ban commercial truck drivers and bus drivers from texting. The proposal comes after an interim ban that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced in January. The ban would apply to commercial drivers of vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds and will hopefully decrease the number of truck accidents and bus crashes that happen.

According to research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, drivers who text have their eyes off the road for 4.5 seconds out of every 6 seconds. During that time, a vehicle moving at a speed of 55 mph while have traveled the length of a football field. Texting motorists also have a 20 times greater chance than drivers that aren't distracted of getting involved in a traffic crash. The FMCSA says that it is working on other regulations related to electronic devices.

It is now no longer mere speculation that while texting while driving is dangerous for all motorists, it is especially so for truck drivers—who, as last year’s Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reports, are 23 time more likely to become involved in a near-accident or an actual truck crash when they text and drive at the same time. When this occurs, it is usually the occupants of the other vehicles, pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists involved in the truck collision that suffer.

Fortunately, there is already a law in the District that bans all drivers from texting. However, that doesn’t necessarily stop people from resisting the urge to compose a text or read one while behind the wheel of a vehicle.

If you were injured by a trucker who was texting, speeding, driving drunk, talking on the cell phone, distracted, sleeping, overmedicated, watching TV, surfing the Web, or engaged in any other behavior while driving, do not hesitate to contact our Washington DC tractor-trailer accident lawyers immediately.

DOT proposes truck texting ban, Washington Post, March 31, 2010

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Proposes Rule to Ban Texting for Truck and Bus Drivers, US Department of Transportation, March 31, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

New data from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute provides insight into cell phone use and driving distraction, Virginia Tech, July 29, 2009

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, Lebowitz & Mzhen

The US government has officially banned truck drivers and bus drivers from texting while driving their commercial vehicles. The order is part of federal lawmakers’ efforts to get rid of “the threat of distracted driving,” says Ray LaHood, the US Transportation Secretary.

Already, 19 US state and Washington DC have a ban that makes it illegal for all motorists to text while driving. Research shows that texting while behind the wheel of any vehicle is incredibly dangerous behavior. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute says that text messaging increases the chances that a truck driver will be involved in a truck accident or a near-truck collision by 23 times. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has said that a driver who is texting must take his/her eyes of the road for about 4.6 out of every six seconds. The consequences for those involved in a Washington DC truck crash or a bus collision can be catastrophic.

Transportation Secretary LaHood says commercial drivers caught texting while driving may be subject to a maximum $2,750 fine. However, whether this ban can be fully enforced is unclear. Police officers will likely have a hard time looking inside a bus or the cab of an 18-wheeler truck or a tractor-trailer to see if a driver is holding a phone or a PDA and texting while driving.

According to recent statistics provided by the National Safety Council, 28% of traffic crashes happen when motorists are texting or talking on their cell phones while driving. The NSC says cell phone use was a factor in 1.4 million car crashes, while texting is linked to 200,000 motor vehicle crashes.

Washington DC Truck Accidents
Proving liability in a truck crash is very difficult. That said, it is important that a negligent driver or truck company compensate you for your personal injuries or the wrongful death of someone you love. This is where an experienced Washington DC truck accident law firm can help you.

U.S. bans truckers, bus drivers from texting while driving, Washington Post, January 26, 2010

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Federal Ban on Texting for Commercial Truck Drivers, US Department of Transportation, January 26, 2010

New data from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute provides insight into cell phone use and driving distraction, Virginia Tech, July 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Safety Council

Continue reading "US Government Bans Truckers and Bus Drivers from Texting While Driving" »

President Barack Obama has signed an executive order banning federal employees from texting while driving a vehicle when on official business even if the vehicle being driven is not owned by the government. The order, issued last week, is an attempt to lead the charge encouraging people to stop texting while driving.

Lawmakers, ordinary citizens, safety advocates, and police attended a two-day Distracted Driving Summit in Washington DC that the US Department of Transportation organized. Already, the District of Columbia has a ban on texting or talking on a hand-held device while driving. Unfortunately, there are District of Columbia motorists who still engage in this dangerous habit that can lead to catastrophic Washington DC car accidents. Not only is texting while driving against the law but, like drunk driving, this popular form of distracted driving can kill people and lead to DC injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits.

The Obama administration has given each of the federal agencies 90 days to figure out how to enforce his order. He also wants the agencies to ban subcontractors and contractors from texting while driving. Federal employees working in national security or law enforcement are exempt from the ban.

For purposes of his order, President Obama defines “driving” as operating a motor vehicle. Drivers that are stopped at a traffic stop or traffic light or for any other reason that requires them to engage with the flow of traffic even if they are in "pause" mode with the engine running are still "driving." However, Mr. Obama says it is acceptable for a federal worker to text message if he or she has pulled over to the side of the road.

Distracted Driving Facts from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety:

• Driver distraction is the cause of 1 million North American traffic accidents each year.
• Although, per the 2009 Index, 95% of drivers think that texting while driving is unacceptable behavior, 18% of them still do it.
• More than 50% of the time a motorist is driving, he or she is engaged in at least one other task.

Obama enacts texting ban on federal employees, The Washington Times, October 2, 2009

The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Related Web Resources:
The White House

US Department of Transportation

Continue reading "President Obama Bans Federal Employees from Texting While Driving" »

At the opening of the Distracted Driving Summit, US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that texting while driving has become an “an endemic” and a “menace to society.” Over 300 people are taking part in the conference, including law enforcement officials, lawmakers, and safety experts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,780 people died (16% of all deadly traffic collisions) and 515,000 people sustained injuries in distracted driving accidents last year. Many of these auto crashes are a result of people using cell phones and PDAs.

Distracted driving is reportedly a big problem among young drivers, especially those under age 21. Distracted driving was a factor in 16% of deadly crashes involving drivers in this age group.

Young motorists, however, aren’t the only ones who text and drive. CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that while 10 billion text messages a month were sent in December 2005, more than 110 billion texts were transmitted in December 2008.

Texting while driving is now illegal in Washington DC and 18 US states. Seven states have made it illegal to talk on a handheld cell phone while driving. Safety groups are calling on a nationwide ban making it illegal for drivers to text and have cell phone conversations. Meantime, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety wants the government to restrict the texting and cell phone talk of the operators of tractor-trailers, large vans, and motor coaches, while the Alliance for Automobile Manufacturers (members include Ford, General Motors, and Toyota) support a ban on handheld phones and texting while driving.

Too many catastrophic car accidents are happening because drivers were distracted. Texting usually requires the use of both hands and eyes. This means that the texting driver will spend at least a few seconds not holding the steering wheel, not watching the road, and not paying attention. These few seconds can end someone’s life.

Bus accidents, train accidents, truck accidents, and car accidents have happened because motorists were distracted. Our Washington DC injury lawyers are cognizant of how distracted driving can destroy lives and we are here to help.

Distracted Driving Summit Emphasizing Danger of Texting Opens Today in Washington DC, ABC News, September 29, 2009

Govt: Nearly 6,000 deaths from driver distraction, AP, September 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Distracted Driving Summit, US Department of Transportation

Distracted Driving, National Safety Council

CTIA-The Wireless Association