April 5, 2011, ERIE, PA — Opened mail today from Road Safe America , one of those private organizations laboring away to try to make our roads safer. The Co-Founders of Road Safe America lost their son when he was hit from behind by a heavy truck that was speeding and using cruise control set over the speed limit. They’ve dedicated their energies since to saving lives and reducing injuries from heavy truck crashes.
Their current initiatives are directed at the adoption of common sense rules for all heavy commercial vehicles and the professionals who drive them, including:
* Require speed limiters to be set at 65 mph or lower
* Require electronic logging to track hours driven – the current manual system can be easily manipulated
* Increase insurance requirements for trucking companies to more appropriate coverage for the extensive damages these vehicles cause in crashes (insurance requirements for trucking companies nationwide have not changed since 1980)
* Keep the maximum weight of trucks at 80,000 lbs (there are proposals now to increase the weight limit to 97,000 lbs)
* Reduce the number of hours a truck driver can drive in a day – current rules do not provide adequate sleep time for drivers
* Advocate for professional wages commensurate with the responsibility truck drivers bear for all hours worked, including overtime after 40 hours
You can help by educating yourself about the issues. Go to RoadSafeAmerica.org and learn about the issues.
Contact an Erie Truck Accident Lawyer
For more information on Pennsylvania heavy truck accidents, visit our commercial truck accident page or take advantage of our offer to give you a free book, “The Ultimate Guide to Car Accident Cases in Pennsylvania: A Roadmap to Justice.” We are northwest Pennsylvania truck accident lawyers who believe in providing free information to the public about truck accident injuries and the cases that result from them. To schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Erie truck accident lawyers, call today locally at 814-273-2010 or toll free at 814-273-2010.