The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has the difficult task of regulating commercial traffic in the United States. The FMCSA reviews collision reports, oversees licensing requirements for those with commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and regulates transportation companies.
The FMCSA has established federal traffic rules that apply to commercial vehicles but not passenger vehicles. Instead of requiring that truck drivers adhere to laws that are different from one state to the next, the FMCSA keeps requirements for commercial motorists relatively standard regardless of jurisdiction. Violations of trucking regulations, including the following, are common reasons that crashes between semi-trucks and smaller vehicles occur.
Hours of Service violations
Transportation companies often keep their drivers on very strict schedules. Encountering a crash that has shut down a highway or running into inclement weather might mean that a truck driver falls behind schedule and can’t finish a delivery. The FMCSA strictly limits how long someone can drive on one day and also over the course of seven or eight days. Violations where truckers stay behind the wheel for too long can lead to fatigue and preventable collisions.
No-text rule violations
The laws about distracted driving are state statutes for those in passenger vehicles. They are different in every state. However, the FMCSA has implemented a federal no-text rule that applies to anyone operating a commercial vehicle. Not only can they not text or send emails, but they should not even manually dial a phone number while operating a commercial truck or similar vehicle. Pressure from employers and a feeling of isolation from family members could both prompt commercial drivers to break the no-text rule. Commercial drivers who succumb to the temptation of distraction may cause preventable crashes that have tragic consequences for others.
Speed and following distance rule violations
On certain roads, including highways and interstates, commercial traffic is often subject to a lower speed limit than other vehicles. The FMCSA generally expects commercial drivers to follow local speed limits and to adjust their speed based on road conditions. Additionally, drivers have to maintain a reasonable amount of distance between their vehicle and another one. The failure to do so could lead to preventable crashes where the commercial vehicle is technically at fault.
Connecting a semi-truck collision to traffic violations may help people who need to seek insurance coverage or compensation via a personal injury lawsuit in the wake of a wreck caused by another’s negligence. Those who understand the regulations that apply to commercial trucks may be able to identify violations that are responsible for a recent crash.