The federal government is poised to reduce by an hour the length of time long-distance truckers can stay behind the wheel, with the hope of reducing trucking accidents.
CBS 2 used a Chicago trucking accident that occurred four years ago as an example: A sleepy, fatigued, and perhaps drugged trucker slammed into 27-year-old Graham Brown’s small sedan.
While Brown can walk, he has lost the use of his left hand and arm and has undergone 22 surgeries.
Earlier this month the Chicago trucking accident lawyers at Abels & Annes reported that the 136 fatal Illinois trucking accidents in 2008 ranks the state sixth-highest in the nation for fatal semi accidents.
Last year, some 380,000 large trucks were involved in traffic accidents that killed 4,229 motorists. Another 90,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Federal Department of Transportation is soon expected to pass a measure that will require truckers to stop and rest after 10 hours on the road. Currently, they can run for 11 hours without rest.
However, the Brown family takes issue with how the current measure is enforced — with truckers who fill out written log books that can easily misrepresent hours spent behind the wheel of an 80,000 pound semi. The family has joined other safety advocates who want black boxes, data recorders with GPS, installed in the nation’s trucks.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an Illinois trucking accident, the Chicago injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes offer free appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.