December 16, 2010 (Press-News.org) Deadly Trucker Risks: Distraction and Drowsiness
Recently, an 18-wheeler headed southbound on Route 394 near south suburban Crete T-boned a car headed eastbound on Steger Road. According to witnesses, the truck driver ran a red light right before colliding with the car, killing its driver, 32-year-old Kelle Ill. The semi driver was not injured. The cause of the crash remains uncertain and reports from investigators are pending.
Large commercial trucks present a unique danger on the road because of their size, weight and lengthy stopping distance. Unfortunately, fatal accidents involving large commercial trucks are far too common. Government data indicates that 11 percent of the 37,200 people killed on U.S. roadways in 2009 died in accidents involving large trucks. Two leading causes oftruck accidents are driver distraction and driver fatigue.
Dangerous Truck Driver Behavior
According to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study, funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, texting truckers are 23 times as likely as non-texting truck drivers to be involved in a crash or near miss. Video cameras mounted in the rigs showed that in 4.6 out of the six seconds leading up to a crash or near miss, texting drivers were looking at the device and not at the road. According to Rich Hanowski, director of the institute's Center for Truck and Bus Safety, anything longer than two seconds is dangerous.
Driver fatigue also plays a significant role in many crashes. Combination-unit trucks were involved in an average of 3,132 fatal crashes annually from 1992 to 1996. Of these, drowsiness was cited as a driver-related factor in 11 percent of the cases where the truck driver was the sole fatality and one percent of the cases where someone other than the truck driver died. However, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) believes drowsiness or fatigue actually plays a larger role than the data indicates, as it is difficult to identify signs of drowsiness accurately after a crash.
Help Is Available
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. A lawyer experienced in handling truck accident claims can assess your case and help you receive the compensation you deserve. To learn more, contact a personal injury attorney today.
Article provided by Salvi & Maher, L.L.C.
Visit us at www.salvi-law.com
Deadly Trucker Risks: Distraction and Drowsiness
Large commercial trucks present a unique danger on the road because of their size, weight and lengthy stopping distance. Unfortunately, fatal accidents involving large commercial trucks are far too common.
2010-12-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
FMCSA Black Box Rule Challenged in Federal Court
2010-12-16
FMCSA Black Box Rule Challenged in Federal Court
The United States Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently ordered JBS Carriers Inc. to install an electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) in every one of its commercial trucks -- over 700 in all -- by March 2011 or pay $81,780 in civil fines.
According to an FMCSA press release, the agency cited the carrier for 102 counts of falsifying driver's hours-of-service (HOS) records and three counts of allowing drivers with a suspended, revoked or canceled commercial driver's ...
Stifling the Right to Remain Silent
2010-12-16
Stifling the Right to Remain Silent
When arrested in the United States, we have the right to remain silent. Most of us know this without attending law school or interacting with law enforcement agents, as a result of pop culture representations of the Miranda warnings. However, one thing that many might not understand despite frequent repetition of the right to remain silent, is how to properly invoke this right.
Consider the case of Van Chester Thompkins. Thompkins was arrested and sat in virtual silence for nearly three hours after he was read his Miranda rights. ...
Giving Bankruptcy Judges "Cramdown" Power To Address Foreclosure Crisis
2010-12-16
Giving Bankruptcy Judges "Cramdown" Power To Address Foreclosure Crisis
The downturn in the real estate market two years ago was a major factor in sending America into recession. The subprime mortgage crisis exposed a house of financial cards, and the first wave of mass foreclosures began.
Today, a "new normal" of high unemployment and diminished property values has taken hold. The struggling economy itself, not overly fancy financial instruments, is pushing more and more people into foreclosure. And, for the most part, most of these home foreclosures no longer involve ...
A Family Approach to Estate Planning
2010-12-16
A Family Approach to Estate Planning
Talking about money, wills and possible inheritances is not always easy for parents or their children. Nonetheless, a family approach to estate planning has some surprising advantages, and it is an important part of a successful estate-planning strategy .
Some people regard their estate plans as secrets to be kept between themselves and their estate planning lawyers. However, discussing the future of a family's wealth together and openly can minimize conflict and avoid hurt feelings when wills are probated .
One benefit of ...
Issuing a Wake-Up Call to Colorado's Drowsy Drivers
2010-12-16
Issuing a Wake-Up Call to Colorado's Drowsy Drivers
The AAA Foundation recently released a survey finding that 41 percent of drivers admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel, one in 10 within the last year. The survey release coincided with Drowsy Driving Prevention Week which took place November 8-14. The public awareness campaign is designed to educate drivers, especially younger ones, about the dangers of drowsy driving and forms of prevention.
Teen drivers are a particular focus of the campaign. Fatigued driving is most common among young people who require ...
If a Golfer Fails to Yell "Fore," Does an Injured Person Have a Claim?
2010-12-16
If a Golfer Fails to Yell "Fore," Does an Injured Person Have a Claim?
Recreational accidents in New York City happen in every imaginable situation, from a boating accident on the Hudson to a bike crash in Central Park. A day of sun, fun and exercise can turn dark quickly when a serious injury or death results from a person's negligence or an equipment failure. Despite the best precautions and practice, a participant can suffer harm due to circumstances beyond his or her control, such as dangerous playground attractions, a faulty amusement ride harness or a lifeguard's ...
Driverless Cars? Ah, But Who Do You Sue?
2010-12-16
Driverless Cars? Ah, But Who Do You Sue?
A recent news article discussed the development of the "Google Car." A Toyota Prius has been equipped with software that "drives" it. The car has logged 140,000 miles and the only accident appears to have been when it was rear-ended by another driver. The question raised by the article was, if there was an accident where the "Google car" was the cause, who would you sue?
Google Cars--A Good Idea?
The story provides a laundry list of the benefits of having driverless cars, such as "tuning the engine to coast as efficiently ...
State Senator Wants to Require Bike-Safety Training ... For Drivers
2010-12-16
State Senator Wants to Require Bike-Safety Training ... For Drivers
In September, 23-year-old Jasmine Herron, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was killed while riding her bicycle when a motorist opened her car door into the bicyclist's path, knocking her off her bike and into the path of a bus. Since then, Herron's mother has teamed up with New York State Senator Eric Adams to propose a Jasmine Herron law that would require the state's mandatory five-hour driver education class to include ways to avoid accidents with bicyclists, skaters, skateboarders and any other mode of non-vehicle ...
The Next Step in the Foreclosure Mess: Congressional Hearings
2010-12-16
The Next Step in the Foreclosure Mess: Congressional Hearings
With the revelation that many big lenders were "robo-signing" documents -- signing them without verifying the accuracy of the information -- to move foreclosures through the process, several banks, including JPMorgan and Bank of America, temporarily halted foreclosures to ensure that all paperwork was in order. The resulting outcry has led to the executives of several large mortgage providers being called before congress to answer for their companies' actions.
Many in Congress are seeking solutions that ...
Ongoing Arbitration for Mobil Oil Over Venezuelan Assets
2010-12-16
Ongoing Arbitration for Mobil Oil Over Venezuelan Assets
International commercial disputes of all sorts are designated by contract to be resolved by arbitration, from basic disagreements over the quality of goods shipped from suppliers overseas to complex claims with hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. One good example of a current high-value dispute is Mobil Corporation's claims against the national oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) over the expropriation of the assets of Mobil subsidiaries in that country's abundant oil fields.
The Mobil/Venezuela ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Ancient engravings shed light on early human symbolic thought and complexity in the levantine middle palaeolithic
The sexes have different strengths for achieving their goals
College commuters: Link between students’ mental health, vehicle crashes
Using sugars from peas speeds up sour beer brewing
Stormwater pollution sucked up by specialized sponge
Value-added pancakes: WSU using science to improve nutrition of breakfast staple
Beyond the gut: A new frontier in IBS treatment by targeting the brain
New spin on quantum liquids: Quasi-1D dynamics in molecular spin systems
Spinal cord stimulation restores neural function, targets key feature of progressive neurodegenerative disease
Shut the nano gate! Electrical control of nanopore diameter
Cutting emissions in buildings and transport: Key strategies for 2050
How parents can protect children from mature and adult content
By studying neutron ‘starquakes’, scientists hope to transform their understanding of nuclear matter
Mouth bacteria may hold insight into your future brain function
Is cellular concrete a viable low-carbon alternative to traditional concrete for earthquake-resistant structures?
How does light affect citrus fruit coloration and the timing of peel and flesh ripening?
Male flies sharpened their eyesight to call the females' bluff
School bans alone not enough to tackle negative impacts of phone and social media use
Explaining science in court with comics
‘Living’ electrodes breathe new life into traditional silicon electronics
One in four chance per year that rocket junk will enter busy airspace
Later-onset menopause linked to healthier blood vessels, lower heart disease risk
New study reveals how RNA travels between cells to control genes across generations
Women health sector leaders good for a nation’s wealth, health, innovation, ethics
‘Good’ cholesterol may be linked to heightened glaucoma risk among over 55s
GLP-1 drug shows little benefit for people with Parkinson’s disease
Generally, things really do seem better in morning, large study suggests
Juicing may harm your health in just three days, new study finds
Forest landowner motivation to control invasive species depends on land use, study shows
Coal emissions cost India millions in crop damages
[Press-News.org] Deadly Trucker Risks: Distraction and DrowsinessLarge commercial trucks present a unique danger on the road because of their size, weight and lengthy stopping distance. Unfortunately, fatal accidents involving large commercial trucks are far too common.