Jefferson County leads state in truck accident deaths

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration’s records show a trend that should make all Jefferson County residents take note-the number one position for the most number of deaths from truck accidents in four out of the last five years.

Any wrongful death that results from a motor vehicle accident can leave friends and family members with a horrible loss. The reasons for truck crashes vary but distraction and fatigue are commonly associated with many such collisions.

With this in mind, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration revised the regulations that direct the working hours of truck drivers to limit fatigue among drivers and thereby reduce the number of accidents.

The landscape in Jefferson County

Looking further into the data from the NHTSA, the problem in Jefferson County is clear, making the need for changes highly important to the area. Between the years 2007 and 2011, Jefferson County logged the most truck-accident fatalities in all but one year.

Following is how the county stacks up against the rest of the state of Alabama for the year 2011, the year with the most recent data yet available:

• Jefferson County recorded 17 truck-related deaths.
• Tuscaloosa County had the second-highest death rate with eight truck-related fatalities.
• Chilton County recorded seven truck-related deaths.
• Walker County recorded six truck-related deaths.
• Coffee and Cullman Counties tied for the fifth position with four truck-related deaths each.

All other counties in the state had three or fewer deaths with many counties recording no loss of life from truck accidents at all.

How the new laws may help

Given that truckers spend many long and lonely hours on the road, fatigue can be a common experience. This can increase the likelihood of an accident. Making changes to the number of hours that can be worked without breaks and overall can help to limit the experience of such fatigue among drivers.

A glance of the new laws shows that truckers must now:

• Limit their working week to a maximum of 70 hours versus the prior maximum of 82.
• Limit daily working hours to a maximum of 14.
• Limit daily driving hours to a maximum of 11.
• Take 30-minute or more break every eight hours.
• Take a break lasting no less than 34 hours each week.

The penalties for violating these new laws can include fines and other actions. Trucking companies, truck owners and truck drivers can all be liable for such actions depending upon the circumstances.

Hope for 2014

This will be the first year that the new laws will be in effect for a full 12 months. People in Jefferson County should be hoping that these changes will help to change the situation and reduce accidents on our roads and highways.

In the event that a truck accident does occur and you are involved, you should always contact an experienced attorney to help you through the process.