Pennsylvania Injury Attorneys Blog
In an effort to reduce the number of tractor-trailer crashes in the Keystone state, the Pocono Record recently reported that the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, state police, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have combined their efforts and are working together.
In fact, the Pennsylvania state police recently earned the highest possible rating from the FMCSA for providing timely and accurate crash inspection data, according to the state police. More than 93,000 random truck inspections were conducted across PA, a 14 percent increase from 2009.
Specially trained officers are used from Pennsylvania’s Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program, state police, the state Public Utility Commission and other local and regional police departments. They inspect required commercial driver credentials and vehicle components, including tires and brakes.
Violations can put the truck or the driver out of service until corrections are made. More than 88,000 violations were discovered last year, according to state police spokesman Sgt. Anthony Manetta.
On the trucking side, American Trucking Associations (ATA) ensures its members comply with state and federal highway trucking safety standards. In the article, Rob Abbott, ATA vice president of safety and policy, is quoted as saying, “Our carriers (trucking companies) mandate drug testing for their drivers.” He added, “Statistics show it’s driver behavior, not vehicle failure, which is more likely to cause accidents.”
In Camp Hill, the Pennsylvania Motor Carrier Association, which is part of the ATA, also partners with other agencies to develop and promote safety initiatives for both truckers and the general motoring public.
Our main office and many of our satellite offices are close to major interstates, such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-80, I-81, and I-95. So we were happy to hear of these efforts to reduce tractor-trailer accidents on Pennsylvania roads. We also applaud the drivers who make every effort to follow the safety protocols and procedures that keep all of us safe on the roads.—–