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Trucks and buses are very important parts of the U.S. transportation system. They regularly travel throughout the state of Florida and they play a huge role in getting goods and/or people to and from their destinations. Unfortunately, accidents that involve tractor trailers and buses are all too common, and when those collisions occur with smaller automobiles, the results can be catastrophic. 

The Fort Myers personal injury lawyers at the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., have found that many truck accidents "could have easily been avoided if the trucking company had not chosen to put profits ahead of safety." Randall Spivey and his team of attorneys seek to hold truckers, the companies for which they work and bus drivers accountable for their actions or inactions with respect to causing injuries. And given the number of accidents that take place between automobiles and commercial vehicles, the government is making a proposal of its own in an effort to cut down the number of accidents that take place.

The Proposal

Statistics have shown that a frightening number of accidents occur on a yearly basis between commercial vehicles and small automobiles due, in part, to the fact that the drivers of the commercial vehicles are often too tired to operate their vehicles in a safe manner. Sadly, many truck and bus drivers endure constant pressure from their employers to drive for longer periods of time and take fewer rest breaks than those required by law.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) previously changed the requirements for commercial vehicle drivers with respect to the hours of service that drivers can put in on a daily basis. Most recently, however, the Agency has gone even a step further. The FMCSA has proposed a new rule that would call for commercial vehicle operators who cross state lines to utilize electronic logging devices, as opposed to the normal paper logbooks that are currently used by many.

Why Such Devices Might Be Beneficial

Controlling the amount of time that commercial drivers spend behind the wheel will go a long way in helping to prevent the occurrence of accidents. Most Fort Myers personal injury lawyers will tell you that even though commercial drivers are expected and required to complete log books on their own, those books can be easily altered for faked altogether. However, if drivers are required to use electronic devices to log their time on the road, it will be much more difficult for them to say that they worked fewer hours than they actually did.

According to the FMCSA, "the electronic devices would make it harder for drivers to misrepresent their hours and would help reduce crashes by tired drivers, saving 20 lives and preventing 434 injuries each year." In addition to improving safety, the proposal will also help businesses cut down on unnecessary paperwork. There has been a long campaign for the use of such devices; however, it often takes months if not years before proposed regulations are finalized. Some individuals are concerned about the proposal, noting that electronic devices are often used to "harass and coerce truck drivers into continuing to drive regardless of driving conditions." But the American Trucking Association welcomes the proposal and sees it as "a way to improve safety and compliance in the trucking industry."

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle, contact the Fort Myers personal injury lawyers at the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. as soon as possible.