On certain stretches of highway in Tennessee, commercial trucks might be ubiquitous. After all, tractor-trailer drivers cover thousands of miles every year in order to transport goods to stores for average consumers. Given how common these large vehicles are, truckers and their employers should do what is necessary to protect the safety of others on the road.
In order to maintain safe roads, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration enforces a set of rules for commercial vehicles that travel from state to state. Every so often, these rules are revised in order to better protect the health and safety of everyone on the road.
Not long ago, the National Transportation Safety Board suggested seven trucking-related rules for the NHTSA to consider. One common thread between several of the suggestions is that two common types of truck accidents could be prevented through better, smarter regulation.
Reports indicate that the NTSB took a look at ways to prevent blind spot accidents. These occur when motorists, bikers or pedestrians are caught in one of the large areas around a tractor-trailer that aren't visible to driver. As such, the suggestions target ways to reduce the size of blind spots, which will give truckers greater visibility to others on the road, who might not realize they are obstructed from view.
The NTSB also addresses underride crashes. This type of accident happens when a vehicle gets lodged under the rear or side of a truck's trailer. Already, federal regulation requires trucks to have a rear underride guard, but the latest suggestions open the door to protection from side underride. The unfortunate reality is that side underride accidents can put vehicle passengers, including children, at particular risk of suffering severe or fatal injuries.
At this time, suggested rules are just that: they aren't enforceable. However, this serves as a reminder of existing safety rules. Motorists trust that trucking companies have their fleets up to code. Unfortunately, individual truckers or their employers set aside these concerns, which only puts others at risk.
The average accident victim isn't likely to know what safety regulations are enforced by federal officials. As such, it may be necessary to seek trustworthy assistance in the event of a truck accident. This way, it may become clear whether or not all of the necessary precautions were taken before the crash occurred.