Enforcement Blitz Aims to Reduce Risk of Houston Trucking Accidents

Texas authorities participated in an enforcement blitz this month sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, which aimed to reduce the risk of trucking accidents in Houston and elsewhere. Enforcement emphasis was on Hours of Service Violations, according to Land Line Magazine. More than one-fourth of all trucks inspected in Texas were taken out of service for serious safety violations.

Our Houston Personal Injury Lawyers have written before about the dangers of fatigued truckers on the road. Authorities check trucker log books in an effort to ensure that they are complying with daily driving limits and other regulations. Unfortunately, it's not always a sure bet, regardless of what the log books say; the feds continue to push the use of data recorders -- similar to what's in airplanes -- to help improve safety and prevent logbook fraud.

The 72-hour enforcement blitz is billed as the largest in the world -- with an average of 14 trucks inspected each minute from Canada to Mexico. The blitz included 10,000 certified inspectors at 1,500 locations across North America. Last year, more than 65,000 inspections occurred in the United States. And, while the pass rate was 95.6 percent, that still means 1 in 20 trucks failed safety inspection.

“Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspectors work diligently every day to ensure that the commercial vehicles using our highways do so as safely as possible,” said Stephen A. Keppler, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. “While a significant majority of vehicle operators are highly responsible, conscientious, and safe; a few in the minority are less so. CMV inspectors provide a vital service to check driver and vehicle safety fitness to help keep our roads safe and clear from preventable crashes, backups, and a needless loss of lives.”

The program estimates the inspections have saved 234 lives and prevented more than 4,000 injuries since its inception in 1988. This year's inspections were expanded to include moving companies, carriers of household goods and rental trucks.

“Expanding this year’s Roadcheck to include household goods movers, along with trucks and buses, reflects our strong commitment to stepping up commercial vehicle safety enforcement and saving lives on our nation’s roadways,” said Anne S. Ferro, administrator for FMCSA. “We want every commercial motor carrier and driver to embrace safety as their number one priority. Roadcheck drives home this lifesaving message.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety reports nearly 8,000 checks were conducted in Texas and more than 1 in 4 commercial rigs (26.5 percent) were placed out of service because of safety violations. Serious safety violations included issues with brakes, tires, lights and unsafe loads. A total of 212 drivers were also placed out of service for violations ranging from hours-of-service violations to driving with suspended or cancelled commercial driver's licenses.

If you have been involved in an accident in the Houston area, contact The Stephens Law Firm for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Houston Injury Attorney Joe Stephens has nearly three decades of experience representing personal injury and wrongful death cases. A Personal Injury Trial Law Specialist through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993, Attorney Stephens has won multiple verdicts over $1 million and is a Million Dollar Advocates Member. He is also the author of The Texas Accident Bible, A Survivor's Legal Guide, and Hiring the Right Injury Lawyer.

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