How many commercial tractor-trailers on the road today have unsafe brakes? The results of a surprise inspection event provide some perspective, and genuine cause for concern.
In May 2017, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance held an unannounced, one-day set of roadside inspections of commercial trucks on what it called “Brake Safety Day.” Inspectors for CVSA, a non-profit coalition of safety and law enforcement officials, were concerned mostly with the braking systems on the big rigs they pulled over. The majority of inspections were held in the United States, with the remainder in Canada.
12 Percent of Inspected Trucks Taken off Road for Unsafe Brakes
Last month, the CVSA released the results of the one-day truck brake safety check. Of the more than 9,500 inspections conducted, 12 percent of all commercial trucks were found with brake problems so severe they were taken off the road.
That’s more than one out of every 10 semis with seriously compromised brakes.
The causes of fatal trucking accidents generally fall in two categories: human error and equipment failure. Both are highly preventable.
Human error comes down to negligence or bad judgment. Truckers who speed, are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, miss mandatory rest periods, or are using a cell phone to text or talk while driving are ticking time bombs. Too often, these dangerous behaviors inflict a devastating toll on innocent victims.
Truck Companies That Don’t Properly Maintain Their Fleets
And maintenance issues – like faulty truck brakes – are just as dangerous, and just as preventable.
Some over-the-road truckers, who generally get paid by the mile, may overlook known, needed repairs. They roll the dice, hoping their rigs will again hold up for another run.
Trucking companies may not be as vigilant as they should be in keeping their fleet in good working order. Those that view regular maintenance as an avoidable hindrance to company profits gamble needlessly with people’s lives.
We now have new documentation of the worrisome scope of dangerous truck brakes – more than one out of 10 commercial trucks on the road today have bad brakes. Odds that are grave and yet easily reduced.
If you were seriously injured or lost a loved one in an accident involving a commercial truck, consult a truck accident attorney to determine the causes and then seek justice from all those responsible.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising.
Authored by Gray Ritter Graham, posted in Blog on August 9, 2017
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