New FMCSA Five-Year Plan Seeks to Reduce Truck Accidents

Truck accidents are extremely dangerous and often deadly. In a car and truck collision, cars are easily crushed under much larger, much heavier semi-trucks. This can lead to catastrophic injuries that may permanently change a victim’s life. At least 11% of vehicle fatalities involved a semi-truck.

Recent studies have raised questions about the safety of both the trucks and the drivers on the road. As previously discussed in this blog, a six-year study in Indiana uncovered dangerous numbers of both trucks with defects and drivers who ignored federal safety standards. Transport Topics reports that in light of this evidence, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has presented a 5-year plan to improve the safety of trucks on the highway and reduce tractor-trailer accidents.

The FMCSA’s goal is to reduce the number of semi-truck accidents as well as the truck crash fatality rate. The plans include the following:

  • developing new driver safety fitness standards
  • amending certification programs based on new standards
  • expanding regulations to cover new industry participants
  • working to weed out high-risk carriers
  • preventing problematic carriers from reopening under new names or management
  • increasing efforts to ensure only qualified drivers are driving
  • reducing unsafe, high-risk behaviors of drivers and carriers

Need an attorney for a truck accident case in Tampa? Call Distasio Law Firm today!

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