The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently completed a study about the safety of single unit trucks. These trucks have a weight rating of at least 10,000 pounds but do not have detachable cargo units. Single unit trucks also have axles attached to one frame. These trucks are not subject to all the same safety rules that the federal government applies to tractor-trailers. Nevertheless, 10,000 pounds or more of a single unit truck can still cause a serious truck accident in Homestead or anywhere in the country and can still pose a higher risk than a passenger vehicle due to its size and force.
The NTSB examined single unit truck accident collision data from hospital reports, state records, police reports, case reviews, and federal databases dating from 2005 to 2009. According to the NTSB, about 1800 fatalities across the country each year are attributable to single unit truck collisions. As well, thousands of injuries can be related each year to these types of vehicles.
The study concluded that single unit trucks are part of a “disproportionate number” of multivehicle collisions as well as passenger vehicle fatalities. Each year, these trucks cause permanent injuries, including head injuries in Homestead and other communities across the nation.
As a part of the study, the NTSB recommended that safety rules be changed so that single unit trucks have some of the same federal rules apply to them as tractor-trailers. Specifically, the agency would like to see single unit trucks have rear underride guards as well as safety features that would improve visibility. Single unit truck still have large blind spots, and the agency would like to see additional measures taken to prevent car accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents involving these types of larger trucks. In addition, the agency recommended changing the classification of these trucks, arguing that currently the truck classification for single unit trucks leads to underreporting of accidents involving these vehicles. Finally, the NTSB recommended driver license changes which would require drivers of single unit trucks to have to face some of the same requirements as commercial tractor-trailer truck drivers.
Single unit truck accidents lead to car accidents in Homestead as well as other communities, and according to safety experts and government agencies more can be done to prevent these types of accidents. Tractor-trailers are recognized as potential dangers on the road and a number of federal safety standards have been passed to ensure that drivers and motor carriers of larger trucks must adhere to certain safety standards. However, experts agree that more needs to be done to prevent traffic accidents in Homestead and across the country related to smaller commercial trucks.
If you have been injured by a commercial truck, your case may be more complex than you realize. There may be multiple liable parties in your case, and you may be eligible for compensation that can help you pay for lost time at work, medical bills, and other costs. To find out more, contact the Flaxman Law Group for a free case consultation.