International Roadcheck, a 72-hour inspection blitz in which thousands of inspectors pull over truck drivers in an attempt to assess them for safety, has been postponed indefinitely. According to a report in Business Insider, the move is a result of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the accompanying spike in demand for goods that requires the services of truck drivers and trucking companies. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), which conducts the check, said the increasing demand for trucks has forced the agency to delay the annual event. This is the first time the event has been postponed.
Business Insider says this is also the most dreaded event of the year for many truck drivers. Typically, the International Roadcheck is scheduled for early summer. Now, it’s been put off to later in the year, but it is not clear exactly when it might take place. The CVSA is an intergovernmental agency with local, state and federal commercial-driver safety officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Safety Regulations Relaxed Amid Pandemic
Each year, the agency conducts a 72-hour inspection push in which 13,000-plus inspectors pull over truckers and evaluate them for key commercial driver safety laws. In the United States and Canada, the CVSA said the 2019 inspections saw 67,072 inspections uncovering 12,019 critical vehicle problems and 2,784 driver violations. Those drivers and trucks were removed from service until the safety issues were resolved.
Such inspections motivate operators to keep up on the maintenance of their fleets as an out-of-service order pushes a truck company’s federal score lower, which means a loss of income. A report by the publication FreightWaves states that during the time of this inspection and due to the downside of being potentially placed out of service, many truck drivers decide to not work while others make necessary repairs to their trucks,
The federal government also lifted an 82-year-old trucking safety law, the hours-of-service regulations, earlier this month, which requires truck drivers to drive no more than 11 hours in a 14-hour period. These regulations were put in place to prevent tired truck drivers from causing truck accidents that often result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities.
It is important during this critical time to ensure that safety doesn’t take a back seat. Trucking regulations such as the hours-of-service regulations and safety inspections helped prevent major truck accidents that result in loss of life and severe injuries that have the potential to leave people disabled for the rest of their lives. Now, with these regulations relaxed, safety is really in the hands of truck drivers and trucking companies. It’s up to them now to make sure their drivers are getting sufficient rest and their vehicles are properly maintained. Historically, we know that fatigued driving, impaired driving, speeding and poor vehicle maintenance are some of the most common factors in large truck accidents.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Victims who have been injured in truck accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families of deceased accident victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for damages such as lost future income, funeral costs, medical expenses, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/trucking-inspection-blitz-postponed-indefinitely-amid-coronavirus-2020-3