The National Transportation Safety Board recently announced that one of its priorities in 2016 is addressing the issue of safety among trucks and truckers on the road. The NTSB has identified four potential safety improvements and goals:
1) Reduce fatigue-related accidents
2) Disconnect from deadly distractions
3) End substance impairment in transportation
4) Require medical fitness for duty
The NTSB has made many recommendations over the past few years concerning fatigued driving, especially amongst truckers. The group has pushed for changes to schedule regulations that are intended to encourage truck drivers to maintain driving timeframes that allow for a sufficient amount of sleep. Also, the NTSB is calling for all interstate commercial vehicle carriers to put electronic logging devices within their vehicles to better and properly monitor driver adherence to the hours regulations.
Fatigue is an issue that affects all drivers, not just truckers. Many drivers who drive through the night or on little sleep are subject to experience fatigue on the roads. However, many of the recommendation put forth by the NTSB specifically target truck drivers. If implemented, the changes recommended by the Board could reduce the number of deadly truck accidents and make the roads safer for everyone. Many of these goals can be used for everyday drivers as well.
Distracted driving is on the rise amongst all drivers. With cell phones, radios, GPS devices, screaming children, noisy passengers and more, it can easily happen to anyone. The key thing to remember is to be smart about your driving: if you are tired, don’t drive or pull over. It’ll keep you safe, and your fellow drivers on the road safe.
The attorneys at the Law Office of Richard M. Kenny have over a combined century of experience and achieved over $100 million in verdicts and settlements to prove their success rate. Our attorneys are very familiar with the roadways and laws in and around New York City and have been tackling truck accident cases since they began their careers. This is their expertise and they are here to help you get the results you deserve. Call our office today to speak to an attorney about your next steps after a car accident.
