› $150,000,000 verdict in personal injury case
The federal rule requiring electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs), devices designed to simplify hours of service (HOS) record-keeping for commercial trucks, has created a new set of problems that Truckinginfo.com describes as “complex and messy.”
The tragic bus crash that killed 15 people and injured 18 others on I-95 in the Bronx last month received such widespread media coverage that it largely eclipsed news of two other commercial bus crashes that occurred last month in the same region. One crash on the New Jersey Turnpike killed two people just two days after the New York Crash, while another on I-93 in New Hampshire injured 23 passengers on March 23.
The driver of the World Wide Tours bus that crashed on I-95 in the Bronx March 12 was driving nearly 80 mph on the 55-mph interstate, transportation authorities said. The violent crash occurred when Ophadell Williams, the bus driver, lost control of the vehicle and toppled it, sliding on its side into a road sign. The signposts tore the roof completely off at the window line, killing 15 passengers and injuring many of the 17 others on the bus.
New York authorities continue to step up their enforcement of safety regulations on tour buses following last week’s fatal crash of a commercial bus that killed 15 people and left many others injured. The crash and the subsequent discovery that the driver, 40-year-old Ophadell Williams, used aliases on two separate occasions to avoid losing his commercial driver’s license, turned regulators’ attention to commercial bus safety in New York and throughout the country.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 4,229 trucking fatalities occurred on U.S. roads and highways in 2008, its last complete statistical year. Traffic fatalities have been steadily dropping over the last 10 years, but there is no doubt that there still are far too many preventable fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles. Whether it was a shift in improperly loaded cargo causing a rollover, a commercial trucking company not equipping the truck with a cab guard, or a defective design that caused the cab to catch on fire — one preventable death is too many.
When you’re behind the wheel, it’s not difficult to become distracted, especially on long, lonely hauls. The radio, cigarette lighter, food, drink, and an incoming call are all things that vie for your attention and beckon you to break the routine when you’re behind the wheel. But by far the most dangerous road distraction is cell phone text messaging – a distraction that kills 6,000 people every year and injures half a million more. Texting while driving is so lethal that researchers throughout the country have been conducting tests to determine why this distraction is many times riskier than drunk driving.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) will help mobilize thousands of roadside inspectors who patrol American and Canadian highways June 8-10 for Roadcheck 2010. Approximately 14 trucks and buses will be inspected every minute during the intense three-day campaign. Typically, 20 percent of vehicles are found in violation of federal safety standards and placed out of service, based on Roadchecks in previous years.
