Abell's Kentucky Law Blog

Truck Crash on I-75 Kills One

A tractor-trailer truck crash on I-75 in Whitley County, Kentucky, has killed one driver and badly injured another reports kentucky.com, "One Dies In Whitley Tractor-Trailer Crash." A little before 11 a.m. on Monday, May 18, a tractor-trailer heading north crossed the median and struck head-on another tractor-trailer traveling in 1-75's southbound lanes. The collision killed the driver of the northbound truck.

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Ohio Truckdriver Killed In 1-71 Crash

An Ohio truckdriver, Robbin Daniels, was killed early Friday, April 17, in a crash in Gallatin County on 1-71 reports kentucky.com, "Trucker Killed In Interstate Crash." The truck turned over in the median about 2:40 a.m.

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Tired Truckers Targeted By New Technology

Tired truckers posed a danger on our nation's highway and the National Transportation Safety Board is urging the adoption of new technologies.  Drivers drifting off because of fatigue poses great dangers and both old and new technologies can increase safety.  New technologies include a dash-mounted camera that would track and driver's eyelids and sound an alarm when detecting fatigue, alarms that would sound when a truck begins to veer and automatic brakes, a measure that requires further research.  Old technologies have also proven effective and their expanded use is also recommended; those technologies include rumble strips, which have been shown to reduce crashes by up to 60%.  The Board also urged that the National Highway Safety Administration step up its monitoring and enforcement efforts regarding the number of hours truckers can drive.

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com

Sick Truckers On The Nation's Highways

    Hundreds of thousands of truck drivers remain fully licensed and drive commercially on our Nation's highways although suffering from illnesses and physical maladies that would qualify them for federal disability benefits, according to report obtained by the Associated Press many media outlets reported today including the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The government agency, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, responsible for regulating trucking has failed to adopt any of eight important safety regulations that were suggested by experts in 2001.  These are very basic such as establishing minimum standards for those officials who determine whether truck drivers are medically and physically capable of driving safely.  The report also states that drivers violating federal medical rules have been caught in every state.

Robert L. Abell
www.RobertAbellLaw.com