September 28, 2012 (Press-News.org) The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, announced at the end of August that it will implement several provisions of its ambitious strategic plan, Moving Ahead for Progress in 21st Century, or MAP-21. The FMCSA's goal is to develop 29 new rules in the next 27 months. These rules will likely improve safety for all road users over the next few years.
Rule Changes to Take Place by October 2012
In an aggressive move, by this October, the FMCSA will change its rules on how it reprimands motor carriers that are found to be immediately dangerous to other drivers and a significant risk for truck accidents. Currently, the agency can immediately shut down a company whose fleet is an imminent hazard to road safety. A carrier may be labeled an "imminent hazard" if it fails to take required safety precautions and creates conditions that may cause imminent death, serious injury or property or environmental damage before a formal proceeding can be completed.
For example, this February the FMSCA declared an Indiana trucking company an imminent hazard because it was violating commercial driver's license and English proficiency rules. The company allowed its drivers to work without a valid commercial license and did not require drivers to be proficient enough in English to use the roads safely. The company was shut down immediately to get these dangerous drivers off the roads.
FMCSA's 2013 Goals
The FMCSA also has several rulemaking goals for next year to improve road safety. First, it will establish a national registry for rental truck accidents and for the permitting of carriers that haul hazardous materials. It would also like to implement new rules for entry-level commercial drivers.
Additionally, the FMCSA aims to reduce commercial truck accidents by adjusting the hour restart rule in its hours-of-service regulations to 34 hours. It will also start requiring drivers to log their hours electronically, which will leave little room for drivers to cook their books or keep two logs: one to show law enforcement and another to show their employers so they are compensated appropriately.
The agency will also require states to develop systems that automatically notify carriers when their drivers receive a moving violation or license suspension. This move will help ensure that unsafe drivers are kept off the roads.
FMCSA's 2014 Goals
The agency has yet more ambitions for 2014. In two years, it aims to improve road safety by implementing a written proficiency exam with a section on safety for people applying for operating authority. It will also establish a national database of driver drug and alcohol test results. Lastly, it will conduct a study on whether or not raising truck weight limits for the nation's highways would affect safety, costs and the use of freight railways.
All of these changes should improve road safety and reduce accidents involving commercial trucks. However, no amount of safety rules can account for human error and road conditions that cause accidents. If you or a loved one has been in an accident caused by a commercial truck, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney to explore your options.
Article provided by Israel & Gerity, PLLC
Visit us at http://www.ig-law.com/
New Commercial Trucking Rules May Make American Roads Safer
A federal agency is working to modify commercial trucking rules in order to improve road safety overall.
2012-09-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
How to Enforce Texting Laws?
2012-09-28
Texting and driving is dangerous. Everyone from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to the local police department is shouting from the rooftops the dangers posed by texting and driving.
Nevertheless, texting is just the most recent of the laundry list of items that can distract a driver and cause a car crash. Changing radio stations, brushing one's hair, eating a hamburger from a drive-through, glancing at papers on the passenger's seat, programming your GPS, the list goes on and on.
And in Georgia, all of them are illegal if they cause driver distraction, ...
The U.S. is Behind on Reviewing Suspended Deportation Cases
2012-09-28
In August 2011, the Obama Administration announced it would review the cases of around 300,000 undocumented immigrants scheduled for deportation.
In an attempt to utilize its resources more efficiently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is focusing on deporting undocumented individuals with criminal records who are national security risks.
In fiscal 2011, the United States deported nearly 400,000 undocumented individuals but only about 55 percent had criminal records.
Though expectations were high, immigration prosecutors had only reviewed about nine percent ...
Special Considerations When Older Couples Divorce
2012-09-28
"Baby boomer divorce." "Gray divorce." "Senior-citizen divorce." "Elder divorce." Regardless of what you call it, there is an unmistakable fact about the so-called "greatest generation": older Americans are getting a lot of divorces. According to Bowling Green State University's National Center for Family & Marriage Research, the divorce rate of those 50 and older have more than doubled since 1990.
Many of those same people get remarried, something which in itself, ironically, can foreshadow more divorce. The divorce ...
Infants at Higher Risk for Bacterial Meningitis
2012-09-28
Bacterial meningitis is a serious illness. Each year in the United States it kills roughly 500 people and threatens the lives of 3,600 more. While people of any age are at risk, infants have a higher risk of contracting bacterial meningitis than all other age groups.
What Causes Bacterial Meningitis in Infants?
Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes covering the spinal cord and the brain (the meninges) caused by the presence of bacteria. The bacteria originate in some other part of the body, are spread by the bloodstream to the fluid around the spinal ...
"Give Me 3" Bill Passes the State Assembly
2012-09-28
Riding bicycles is a large part of the appeal and culture of Southern California. While thousands of riders make use of trails and special bike paths in parks, many riders take to bike lanes on city streets. With such widespread interest, motorists must be mindful of how vulnerable bicyclists are while riding in traffic. This is especially important as cars pass bicyclists and cross into bike lanes while making turns. In fact, many bicyclist fatalities in California are caused when drivers fail to yield to riders or give them proper space to maneuver.
The State Assembly ...
Car Accidents: What to Do and Not to Do
2012-09-28
Car accidents are scary. They can put your life in chaos, result in a mountain of medical bills, take lives and cause vast amounts of stress. When an accident happens, it is important to take steps to both ensure your physical recovery and protect your legal rights.
What to Do in Case of an Accident
Immediately after an accident, take a moment to check for injuries. If you or a loved one has been hurt, emergency authorities should be notified immediately so that treatment can begin. Once that has been done, though, it is important to assess the property damage and ...
How a Texas DWI/DUI Could Affect Your Commercial Driver's License
2012-09-28
If the driver of a sedan is pulled over and charged with DWI, it can cause some challenges. The inconvenience of a suspended license, the possibility of jail time, as well as the financial hit caused by hefty fines, the court fees and the increased insurance premiums are all significant consequences that no one wants to face. If the driver of a semi truck or other commercial driver's license holder is convicted of DUI, though, the penalties are even steeper.
Commercial License DWI/DUI
The larger the vehicle, the more possibility for damage in the event of an accident. ...
Connecticut Foreclosure Rates Double: What Can Homeowners Do?
2012-09-28
Recent news regarding foreclosure rates in Connecticut shows that plenty of homeowners are still in peril of losing their homes due to financial distress. Real estate analysts disclosed that Connecticut's foreclosure rate more than doubled between July 2011 and July 2012.
Looking at current foreclosure rates on the regional level, New Haven County had the second highest rate in the state, with one in every 854 housing units in the county in foreclosure. In Fairfield County, the rate is slightly better at one of every 903 units, but the rate is much higher in cities like ...
196 Billion Text Messages: Distracted Driving is the New Drunk Driving
2012-09-28
Ubiquitous. Definition: existing everywhere, present everywhere at once or seeming to be. The cellphone is ubiquitous. No matter where you go, whether to the store, restaurants, bars, parks, movies, streets and cars. Today, cars seem to have become the new phone booths. Many drivers are on the phone before they have even backed the car out of the driveway.
Is Anyone Paying Attention?
How could they be? The phones are so enticing. Not just talking, but texting, surfing the web, shopping (one click!), checking sports scores, updating Facebook, who has time to watch ...
South Carolina Task Force Aims to Reduce DUI with More Roadblocks
2012-09-28
The Community Action for a Safer Tomorrow Coalition (CAST) has announced that the local community is going to increase its efforts to reduce drunk driving accidents and underage drinking.
The members of CAST are a taskforce of local police, highway control, representatives from the local school district and other community members. Together they plan to provide more education, more DUI checkpoints and more training for law enforcement to deter people from driving under the influence.
CAST has revealed that since March 1, 2012, the police have conducted 46 DUI checkpoints ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year
Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes
Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome
New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away
Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms
Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers
Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity
Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued
Unraveling the power and influence of language
Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice
TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies
Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light
Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription
Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems
Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function
Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire
Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality
Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology
'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds
Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization
New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease
Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US
Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility
Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity
Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning
Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders
Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals
Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut
High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications
New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia
[Press-News.org] New Commercial Trucking Rules May Make American Roads SaferA federal agency is working to modify commercial trucking rules in order to improve road safety overall.