Georgia Personal Injury Law Blog : Atlanta Georgia Injury Lawyer & Attorney : Jason R. Schultz Law Firm : Wrongful Death, Malpractice, Car Accidents : Georgia

Political gridlock in the nation’s capital has led to thousands of Department of Transportation employees being furloughed without pay, and has cut off essential funding to state highway and auto safety programs. As an accident lawyer in Atlanta, I am very concerned at how long this impasse will continue, and how badly it will affect motorist and trucking safety in Georgia.

On Sunday, the DOT issued a statement saying that it would be furloughing up to 2000 workers belonging to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The stalemate also affects highway funds that the federal administration provides to states to conduct safety programs.

The deadlock began when Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning blocked a piece of legislation that would've extended highway programs and unemployment benefits to transportation workers. It is likely that this deadlock will soon be resolved, but states around the country are already sending out distress signals about their fears over slashed highway safety funds. According to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, if the funding cuts go on past the middle of this week, it will impact trucking safety. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is comprised of police officers who are specialized in trucking enforcement. This sub agency is funded in part by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. With funding now hanging in a state of limbo, several states will be impacted adversely. Smaller states will bear the brunt of the blocked federal funding.

Atlanta accident lawyers will also be concerned about motorcycle safety programs, drunk driving crash prevention measures and efforts against distracted driving, which will now be impacted by the funding standoff.

It's unfortunate that political bickering is threatening the safety of ordinary Americans.  It is my hope that this crisis is resolved soon and funding for essential safety programs is resumed quickly.

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As an Atlanta truck accident lawyer, I am pleased to see federal agencies taking decisive steps to promote truck safety and prevent accidents. In the latest such measure, the US Department of Transportation has announced a ban on texting while driving for all commercial truck and bus drivers. The ban is effectively immediately.  Considering the DOT’s war on distracted driving, I wasn’t too surprised that the ban was enacted.

The ban comes soon after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced that it would be revising the hours of service rules for truckers. New rules can be expected in the next few months, and these will hopefully set consecutive working hours back to 10.

As long as the federal government is on a roll with these commendable steps, I believe it should go the distance and implement a number of other measures that this Atlanta truck accident lawyer has been hoping for years. These include

• Mandating onboard recording devices on trucks that monitor the number of hours the trucker has driven, by tracking the number of times the vehicle is switched on and off
• Mandating seatbelts on all buses
• Mandating sleep apnea screenings for all commercial truck drivers. If the government wants to deal with trucker fatigue-related accidents, it would make sense to also deal with the other major factor in trucker fatigue.
• Putting aside all plans to increase the weight limit of tractor trailers on our highways. The trucking industry has been lobbying hard for bigger and heavier trucks that would allow companies to transport more cargo in a single trip. We don’t need heavier trucks on our highways. What we do need are stronger laws that prevent accidents involving our current-sized trucks.

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A speeding truck is being blamed for a fatal accident over the weekend on I-95 in McIntosh County, Georgia.

According to news reports, a family of five was on its way to Florida, when their minivan was rear ended by an 18 wheeler. The force pushed the minivan off the highway and into a swamp. A three-year-old boy, in his child safety seat, was killed when the seat could not protect him from the crushing impact of the collision. His parents and siblings were also injured in the accident. The driver of the tractor trailer will likely face criminal charges.

The accident occurred two days after Christmas, and as a parent and Atlanta truck accident lawyer, my heart goes out to the family of the little boy.  Investigations into the accident will likely look into the driver’s history and any safety violations.

• Did he have any other speeding violations on his record?  
• Had he been involved in any previous accidents?
• How long had he been driving without rest?  
• Were alcohol or drugs a factor in the crash?

To an Atlanta truck accident attorney, this accident is yet more proof that trucking companies have to be very sure of those whom they hire to get behind the wheel of such a dangerous instrumentality. This is a tragedy that need not have occurred had the truck driver followed a few simple rules.

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