The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is likely to soon develop guidelines for the treatment of sleep apnea among truck drivers.  According to John Hill, former chief of the FMCSA, the guidelines are likely to include the latest and best treatment for sleep apnea recognized by medical practitioners.  Hill also believes that by the end of the year, the agency will issue a final rule, requiring doctors to be aware of DOT rules before issuing a medical certificate to a truck driver.  These new guidelines will mean that DOT medical examiners will have to identify sleep apnea in drivers and recommend treatment programs for them.

Hill has just joined SleepSafe Driver Inc., a company that provides sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment programs for commercial motor vehicle drivers.  He has been brought in as a senior advisor, and he is expected to bring substantial experience and expertise to his new role, simply because in his former job, he saw firsthand the effect of letting sleep apnea in truck drivers go undiagnosed and untreated.  Commercial truck drivers, by the very nature of their work, are at a high risk for chronic driver fatigue, and all the accident risks from it.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has known about these risks for years, but much to the dismay of Las Vegas truck accident lawyers, the agency has dragged its feet on mandating testing of drivers for sleep apnea, and recommending treatment for drivers before they are allowed back into the cab. 

Dealing with a chronic disease that affects so many commercial truck drivers has proved to be a major challenge for the federal agency.  It's not just the diagnosis of sleep apnea that has proved to be a logistical challenge, but also the task of getting truck drivers to complete treatment programs once they have been diagnosed.

If a bill that has just been introduced in the US Senate passes, trucking companies in Nevada would be able to add up to 17,000 pounds more cargo in their trailers, thereby making these trucks heavier, and an even greater threat to motorist safety.  Any Las Vegas truck accident lawyer should be concerned about the kind of effect larger heavier trucks will have in a city that is already known for its large number of intoxicated, impaired and reckless motorists.

The bill, S.3705 is also called the Safe and Efficient Transportation Act.  It has been introduced by Senators Mike Crapo, Republican-Idaho, Herb Kohl, Democrat-Wisconsin, and Susan Collins, Republican-Maine.  The bill is similar to another bill that has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.  The bill would allow states to increase the weight limit for trucks to 97,000 pounds.  If the bill is passed, trucking companies would be able to stuff their trailers with additional cargo, although the bill would require a sixth axle to be added to the truck, so that the additional weight doesn't affect the stopping distance of the truck.

The bill’s supporters claim that it will increase trucking efficiency, decrease the number of trucking trips, decongest our highways, and contribute to a cleaner, greener environment.  However, it is the accident risks of more number of bulkier 18 wheelers on our highways that should be our biggest concern.

The safety risks with heavier tractor-trailers will be especially acute in Nevada, which has a highly unsafe motoring culture.  Las Vegas in particular, has a major problem with drunk driving.  Heavier trucks are a major safety risk in a city like this, and on highways like ours that are used by reckless, impaired motorists.  Heavy trucks may be more efficient, but they are a safety risk that Las Vegas motorists simply cannot afford.

Annually, approximately 3,500 truck rollover accidents could be prevented and 106 lives could be saved if electronic stability control systems were made mandatory on all 18 wheelers.  An additional 4,400 injuries every year could be prevented if these systems were mandated in all tractor-trailers. Those statistics come from a study conducted by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration researchers, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Michigan.  The researchers were studying the results of these systems in preventing truck rollover accidents. 

Electronic stability control systems are mandatory in all new passenger vehicle models.  The NHTSA has established that these systems can help dramatically reduce the number of rollover accidents every year by helping motorists to maintain control over vehicles.  However, these systems have not been made mandatory on 18-wheelers, in spite of the fact that these massive vehicles are at a high risk of rollover.  A tractor-trailer is highly susceptible to a rollover when it is making a turn, or when it jackknifes.  These accidents become even more hazardous when the tractor-trailer in question is carrying thousands of gallons of liquid. 

Tank trucks may be even more susceptible to rollovers because of the liquid cargo that can cause a shift in the load, and eventually, a rollover.  A rollover involving a tank truck could lead to hazardous material being spilled on highways, creating not just a safety hazard, but also an environmental one.  Last year, in Indiana, a tanker truck involved in a single vehicle accident exploded on a busy highway, and the resulting fireball could be seen for miles away.

Las Vegas truck accident lawyers firmly believe that these types of accidents could be avoided if trucking companies equipped all their vehicles with electronic stability control systems.  However, for that to happen, the agency needs to mandate the installation of these systems in all tractor-trailers.  The NHTSA has said that it will conduct a study into the benefits of using these systems, and will then make a decision about this matter.

Tractor-trailers are incredibly powerful vehicles, dwarfing cars on the road to the point that when there’s an accident that involves both, the car is always more severely damaged. Factor in the added weight and potential hazard of the cargo semi trucks haul, and just about any accident becomes a near perfect recipe for catastrophe. Occasionally, though, there is that kind of wreck that defies rationality, where everyone thankfully comes out virtually unharmed.

On Wednesday, a diesel fuel tanker hauling multiple tanks crashed off the side of the road near Roy, Utah. One tank passed over the median and burst into flames, the other rolled and leaked fuel all over I-15. But not one fatality or serious injury was reported as a result. The only person to be treated at all was the tanker’s driver, who suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The secondary damage was extensive, however. The highway remained closed and then only reduced traffic was allowed to pass until the late afternoon, which impacted lives and jobs throughout the area. Undoubtedly, it was a terrifying experience for anyone who happened to see it.

The Utah Highway Patrol states that the cause of the wreck is still under investigation. The driver asserts that he simply fell asleep at the wheel, claiming fatigue. The police dispute this reason, saying there is strong evidence that he was under the influence of either prescription or illicit drugs. The UHP said DUI charges are being filed in the matter.

To reiterate the amazing details of this case: A man lost control of his tanker tractor-trailer having fallen asleep either as a result of fatigue or possibly due to drug use. The tanker crashed, spilling fuel everywhere and starting an enormously dangerous fire on a well-traveled highway, and yet no one was seriously injured. It borders on miraculous that no one was hurt or killed. Be that as it may, this case underscores the danger these massive vehicles can present. Yes, they serve a purpose in keeping commerce and business functioning, yet there is great potential for injury and even death when those who operate them don't take proper care.

Should it be found that the driver was indeed intoxicated, drivers would be well served if the courts threw the book at him as proper punishment and to make an example out of him to other truck drivers.

Related Pages:  Las Vegas Truck Accident Lawyers

The surgeon for Landra Reid, wife of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, has reported that Mrs. Reid is recovering well after her surgery following a four-vehicle accident late last week. Since the surgery, Mrs. Reid appears to be recovering as she is handling her pain well and has been able to get out of bed.

Mrs. Reid was involved in the accident on Thursday around 1 p.m. She and her daughter were driving on I-95 when they had to brake and were struck from behind by a tractor-trailer. This created a chain of collisions that injured both Mrs. Reid and Lana, her daughter. Lana was released from the hospital after being treated for lacerations, but Mrs. Reid's neck had been broken and she required urgent surgery.

Mrs. Reid suffered numerous injuries to her head and neck from the impact. She broke vertebrae in her neck and lower back, and also broke her nose when her vehicle collided with the Jeep in front of her. The other people involved in secondary impacts were also taken to the hospital, but fortunately none of their injuries turned out to be life threatening.

This incident clearly shows one key disparity between tractor-trailers and other vehicles on the road. Mrs. Reid was driving a Honda Odyssey, a minivan. Admittedly not the most rugged vehicle, the minivan is still large enough that passengers in one might have a reasonable expectation of safety in a collision. Unfortunately, any such expectation is less reasonable when a collision involves a tractor-trailer. Semi trucks are such an order of magnitude more massive than the typical automobile that they can be incredibly dangerous and have lead to some of the worst accidents imaginable.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was one Allan Snader of Ohio. Snader has been charged with reckless driving. Further charges may be filed against him upon further investigation, but it does not appear Snader was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Thankfully, no one was killed in this incident, but neck and back injuries like those suffered by Mrs. Reid are certainly no laughing matter. A broken neck can easily be fatal, instantly ending someone's life. Senator and Mrs. Reid have four children and sixteen grandchildren. One moment of recklessness on Mr. Snader's part almost ended Mrs. Reid’s involvement in all those lives.

Related Pages:  Las Vegas Truck Accident Attorneys

Truck transport accounts for a major part of the shipping traffic in the United States.  Thousands of big rig vehicles haul millions of tons of goods ranging from construction materials to hazardous chemicals all over the interstate and highway networks of the country. When handled properly and legally, these vehicles are largely safe on the roads — for every accident we hear about, there are countless vehicles that have arrived safely that same day.  However, the massive size and power of these vehicles mean that when accidents do occur, they can be catastrophic.  A single big rig can take out a half-dozen other vehicles if it loses control, or can demolish buildings when it impacts them. With so much power and potential damage at stake, it is vitally important that the operators of these vehicles be held to account when they fail to observe the laws and restrictions necessary to maintain proper road safety.

Consider the February 19 case of trucker Charles Harford. Harford was operating a tractor-trailer near Davenport, N.Y., on that date.  He lost control of his vehicle and plowed into a house in Davenport Center. Rhonda Hitchcock was killed instantly by the impact.  Mercifully, she was asleep at the time.  Her daughter and grandson were both injured but were released from nearby hospitals in stable health.

It was found that Harford had been driving recklessly for the conditions of the road, not wearing a seatbelt, and changing lanes in an unsafe manner.  Additionally, among other offenses, it was found that the brakes of his vehicle were not properly adjusted. As a result of this tragic event, Harford has been issued six tickets, though the investigation is still ongoing.

Six tickets hardly seems an appropriate punishment in this case.  Someone died as a result of Harford's actions, whether intentionally or not, and two others were seriously hurt. The property damage will easily extend into the thousands of dollars, which doesn't begin to include the costs of medical bills and the emotional trauma of having lost a family member. The investigation is not yet complete, but it will be a frustrating day for victims' rights if its punishment goes no further than six uniform citations.

Related:  Truck Accident Attorney Las Vegas