Rules of the Road for Commercial Trucks and Drivers

​Drivers of commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers are required to take special care on the roadways to protect themselves as well as other vehicles on the road. When a driver of a commercial truck does not follow safety rules and injures occur, that driver and the company for which he/she works is responsible for that injury.

Large trucks are involved in thousands of crashes that kill or cause serious injury to people every year. If you have been involved in a wreck with a commercial truck where you were in no way at fault, there is a good chance you are entitled to compensation.

There are many factors that cause accidents and fatal crashes on our roadways and highways. 

Truck Drivers have Standards and Regulations They Must Follow.
The trucking industry is very heavily regulated in order to protect truck drivers and other drivers on the road. Tractor trailer drivers must follow special precautions and rules when on the roadways in order to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
 
Despite these heavily regulated standards, large trucks are involved in thousands of crashes that kill or cause serious injury to people every year. If the safety standards established by the national and statewide departments of transportation are not followed, and as a result another driver is injured, the truck driver or the trucking company is responsible for any injuries that are caused.
 
5 BASIC SAFETY STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

1.Truck drivers are only allowed to drive a certain number of hours per day.
Tired truck drivers are a major cause of harmful and sometimes deadly truck crashes. Trucking companies must comply with the standard hours set to regulate driver safety. If a driver is permitted or forced to drive more than the regulated hours due to delivery deadlines and a crash occurs, the driver and trucking company can be held responsible.

2.Truck drivers are required to use "extreme caution" or stop driving during bad weather.
Bad or extreme weather can occur during any point of a truck driver’s route. The standards are set that the driver must slow down or stop driving in order to avoid losing control and crashing the vehicle. If a truck driver continues to operate in extreme weather such as heavy fog, snow storms, rain storms etc. without adjusting their driving speed and having caused injury, the truck driver and the trucking company can be held responsible.

3.Trucking companies are required to maintain and repair their trucks.
Defective brakes and tires and inadequate lighting are leading causes of major accidents involving trucks. Truck drivers and trucking companies are required to repair mechanical defects and maintain safe vehicles under the regulation standards. If these vehicle standards are ignored and trucks are not maintained they add to the chances of a serious accident occurring.

4.Cargo in or on a truck must be properly secured.
Cargo in or on a truck must be secured following the regulation standards set in order to ensure that trucks are safe from tipping or from spilling their cargo. Trucking companies that allow their trucks to go out on the road without correctly securing or balancing the load create a dangerous condition for drivers and can be held responsible for any injury their truck or cargo causes.

5.Truck drivers must park their trucks and trailers in safe designated areas.
Truck drivers who park their trucks and trailers in the path of moving traffic can cause deadly crashes. The standards require that a trucker must place warning triangles or a flagger to alert drivers who might come upon the unexpected obstacle in their path.
 
Standards and regulations for truck drivers are set up to establish safe driving conditions for everyone on the roads. Most truckers are professional drivers who follow these standards but unfortunately, some are irresponsible or inexperienced. Truckers must adhere to these standards and trucking companies must be selective in hiring drivers with a great driving record, committed to the professional standards and responsibility of driving these large vehicles.
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