Dangerous Truckers And The Lack Of Adequate Regulation

M. Brandon Smith

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Terrifying information has recently been released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is the federal agency charged with regulating the trucking industry. All United States citizens, specifically including Georgians, should be on specific attention and alert to of the following remarks:

"We have a major public safety problem, and we haven't corrected it," said Gerald Donaldson, senior research director at the Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, whose members include consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies. "You have an agency that is favorably disposed to maintaining the integrity of the industry's economic situation."

Truckers violating federal medical rules have been caught in every state, according to a review by the AP of 7.3 million commercial driver violations compiled by the Transportation Department in 2006, the latest data available. Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, Minnesota and Ohio were states where drivers were sanctioned most frequently for breaking medical rules, such as failing to carry a valid medical certificate. Those 12 states accounted for half of all such violations in the United States."

Sick, tired and/or impaired truck drivers cause thousands of trucking accidents each year in the United States. Many of these trucking accidents end in death for those in passenger vehicles. The statistics are alarming and the FMCSA is not doing anything material to help reduce the needless loss of life that these accidents cause.

It is apparent based on this article alone that drastic changes are needed and that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration needs to be held to a higher standard in order to help save lives. Unless corrective measures are taken to keep unfit and unsafe truckers like those mentioned in this assessment off the road, all other drivers on the roadway will continue to be in danger. For more information on how you can promote awareness and visibility to this alarming issue visit the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.