Study Finds Sick Truckers Causing Fatal Wrecks
Many of these drivers should not have been on the road, however, the government has not yet taken steps recommended year ago by safety regulators to ensure that truck and bus drivers are medically fit to operate commercial vehicles.According to a recent AP article in the Dallas Morning News:
The McKinney Law Firm represents the families of those who have lost their lives in these types of trucking accidents. If you have any questions or if we can be of service, please contact us.The problems threatening highway travelers persist despite years of government warnings and hundreds of deaths and injuries blamed on commercial truck and bus drivers who blacked out, collapsed or suffered major health problems behind the wheels of vehicles that can weigh 40 tons or more.
The U.S. agency responsible for cracking down on unfit truckers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, acknowledges it hasn't completed any of eight recommendations that U.S. safety regulators have proposed since 2001. One would set minimum standards for officials who determine whether truckers are medically safe to drive. Another would prevent truckers from "doctor shopping" to find a physician who might overlook a risky health condition. It's unclear whether any of the eight recommendations will be done before President Bush leaves office.
The Transportation Department said 5,300 people died in crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses in 2006, the latest year for which figures are available, and about 126,000 more were injured. A federal safety study last summer found that cases where drivers fell asleep, suffered heart attacks or seizures or otherwise were physically impaired were a leading cause of serious crashes involving large trucks. But those cases included healthy drivers who fell asleep.
Source: AP/Dallas Morning News
