Commercial Vehicles « Denver Accident Information

Archive for the ‘Commercial Vehicles’ Category

Colorado State Patrol Punishes Aggressive Driving Around Big Rigs

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

August 10, 2010 – The Colorado State Patrol (“CSP”) has announced a new program called TACT – “Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks” which they hope will reduce the number of accidents caused by aggressive driving of passenger vehicles around commercial trucks. Last year crashes involving big rigs and passenger vehicles killed 31 people and injured 161 others. Half of these accidents were caused by the driver of the passenger vehicle, and sadly over 70% of the fatalities represented occupants in those same vehicles.

The TACT program targets passenger vehicles that drive aggressively around commercial vehicles in an effort to reduce the number of fatalities involving commercial trucks. CSP has designated three specific periods of enforcement for the TACT program: July 19-23, August 23-27 and September 20-24.

CSP reports that the top three driving behaviors accounting for over half of all commercial vehicle-involved crashes are speeding, following too closely and unsafe lane changes. The TACT program was developed primarily to educate all drivers on the importance of safer driving around big rigs, including allowing more space when merging and changing lanes, following behind commercial trucks, and passing other motorists.

You can avoid accidents by keeping a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, stay visible when approaching commercial trucks, and don’t speed. Also be mindful and avoid cutting in front of commercial trucks as this action reduces the truck’s distance required for braking and limits the driver’s ability to prevent an accident. Of course, the most important thing of all – always wear your seat belt!

Posted in Commercial Vehicles, In the News, Proposed Laws, Recent Studies, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Runaway Truck Ramps Save Lives

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

August 4, 2010 – We are all too familiar with the runaway truck ramp signs scattered along I-70’s mountain corridor. Just seeing these ramps along the highway is a stern reminder of the power behind a runaway semi truck. Typically less than 2,000 feet long and covered in 2-4 feet of rounded crush rock, these ramps were designed to stop a semi truck traveling at 100 miles per hour and weighing up to 80,000 pounds.

These truck ramps were implemented in the late 1970s to early 1980s to prevent truckers from burning up their brakes while they descended from the Eisenhower Tunnel to the bend just before Silverthorne. The six ramps found along this particular stretch of mountain road are used approximately 70 times each year. However, with the use of automatic slack adjusters for proper function of brakes, truckers’ need for these ramps has decreased over the past 30 years. Other runaway truck ramps are found on eastbound I-70 in Mount Vernon Canyon near Denver, westbound U.S. 6 below Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and two on westbound Vail Pass.

Keep in mind that runaway truck ramps see more use during the summer months as the high temperatures cause trucks’ brakes to burn and fail more quickly. Unfortunately, the summer months see much higher traffic volume of non-commercial vehicles on these particular stretches of road. If you see a semi truck emitting smoke, be sure to quickly move out of the way to allow it access to the truck ramps.

Posted in Commercial Vehicles | No Comments »

RTD Bus Runs Light

Friday, January 29th, 2010

January 20, 2010 – RTD bus runs red light causing a multi-car pileup at Florida Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. The driver of the RTD bus, who was ticketed pending the outcome of the investigation, cited “operational problems” with the bus’s brakes. Fortunately, there were no injuries on the bus, but three people from the other vehicles were taken to the hospital with injuries.

Tags: accident, bus, Colorado, RTD
Posted in Car Accidents, Commercial Vehicles, In the News, bus | No Comments »

School Bus Accident in Aurora

Friday, January 29th, 2010

January 25, 2010 – A Cherry Creek “special needs” bus collided with a car at South Tower Road and East Amherst Avenue. The car ran a red light at the intersection causing the collision. Two students, a students’ aide and the bus driver were taken to the hospital for treatment of bumps and bruises and released. No one in the car was injured.

Tags: accident, Aurora, Cherry Creek, children safety, Colorado, school bus, special needs
Posted in Car Accidents, Children's Safety, Commercial Vehicles, In the News, bus | No Comments »

Obama Signs Executive Order Limiting Text Messaging for On-The-Job Government Employees

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration ordered a ban on texting for all government employees while driving on the job or driving government-owned vehicles.

Studies show that talking on a cell phone causes almost 25% of all car accidents. Already, seven states have banned any cellphone use while driving, 18 states have banned texting while driving, and 17 states have made it illegal for school bus drivers to use cellphones while driving. This is all great news for U.S. drivers since last year distracted drivers caused nearly 6,000 deaths in this country alone.

The administration is considering additional restrictions on cellphone use by rail, truck and bus drivers.

Posted in Car Accidents, Cell Phone Use While Driving, Commercial Vehicles, In the News, Proposed Laws | No Comments »

Is Colorado Sending a Mixed Message on Texting and Driving?

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

September 23, 2009 – Colorado is one of at least 22 states that have banned texting while driving. So why do they also offer traffic updates via Twitter? The conflict appears to result from two well-intentioned arms of government: transportation departments that want to assist motorists with live traffic issues; and legislatures that are seriously concerned about the implications of distracted driving.

State transportation officials suggest people read their tweets before hitting the road and “know before you go.”

Posted in Car Accidents, Cell Phone Use While Driving, Commercial Vehicles, Proposed Laws | No Comments »

Truckers Who Text While Driving Pose Greater Danger than Car Drivers

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

September 25, 2009 – A trucker is far more likely to have a crash due to cell phone use than car drivers. Truckers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident or near-accident than an undistracted driver. A recent study showed that even when dialing a phone while driving, a truck driver is almost 6 times more likely to have an accident versus 2.8 times more likely for a car driver. Just reaching for an electronic device, a trucker is 6.7 times more likely to have an accident compared to a car driver who is only 1.4 times more likely.

Think of it this way, if a highway driver takes his eyes off the road for even 4.6 seconds it is like traveling the length of a football field going 55 m.p.h. with your eyes closed. The greatest risk of text messaging for truckers and drivers is they are looking at their cell phones and NOT at the road.

Posted in Car Accidents, Cell Phone Use While Driving, Commercial Vehicles, Recent Studies | No Comments »

Colorado Ban on Texting for All Drivers

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

September 19, 2009 – Last year in Fort Collins, 9-year old Erica Forney was riding her bicycle and was struck and killed by a driver, who police say was distracted while using a cell phone. The loss of this little girl’s life prompted the proposal and enactment of a new bill in Colorado prohibiting all drivers from texting while driving, which became effective June 1^st. Not only does this bill outlaw texting for all drivers, it also prohibits use of cell phones for drivers 18 and under while driving. Additionally, drivers of any age with instruction permits are prohibited from the use of cell phones while driving.

Some say this bill isn’t enough to keep the roads of Colorado safe. In fact, the state legislature is currently reviewing a bill that, if passed, would place stricter parameters on drivers by requiring hands-free accessories for all drivers using cell phones. Furthermore, anyone 18 or under would be prohibited from using a cell phone while driving, even with the use of hands-free accessories. This bill would additionally ban cell phone use by school bus drivers and motor vehicle carriers regulated by the public utilities commission.

The use of a cell phone while driving, whether texting or talking, dramatically reduces the reaction time of drivers, yet over half of U.S. drivers admit to talking on a cell phone while driving and one in seven admit sending text messages while driving. And these numbers dramatically increase for young drivers! Almost half of drivers between 18-24 years old and over one-quarter of drivers between 25-34 years old admit text messaging while driving.

Researchers in a recent study utilized a driving simulator to compare the performance of two types of drivers: (a) drivers using cell phones; and (b) drivers not using cell phones, but intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit in all 50 states. Researchers concluded that drivers using a cell phone were actually more likely to cause a rear-end collision than a person driving under the influence of alcohol.

Colorado was the 14^th state to join others in enacting a bill prohibiting drivers from texting. The U.S. Senate is reviewing a bill that, if passed, would take away 25% of federal highway money from states with no such bill in place.

The Law Firm of Jason Crawford has represented accident victims and their families for more than 14 years. If you or your family needs to talk to an experienced accident lawyer, please call us today at (303) 741-0249.

For more information, please visit our website www.DenversAccidentLawyer.com.

Tags: accident, bicycle accident, cell phone, Colorado, New law, Proposed bill
Posted in Car Accidents, Cell Phone Use While Driving, Commercial Vehicles, In the News, Proposed Laws, Recent Studies, Teen Drivers | No Comments »

Commercial Vehicles Pose Threat to Motorists

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

September 22, 2009 – Safety violations, suspended licenses and possible drug use have forced hundreds of bus and tractor-trailer companies to be shut down. However, many of these companies have managed to resume business by reemerging under a different name, often evading fines and avoiding performing the necessary corrective actions.

Between 2007 and 2008, at least 20 of the roughly 220 commercial bus companies and over 1,000 commercial trucking firms that had been fined and ordered out of service by federal regulators reemerged under a new name, often using the same owner name, address, employees and contact numbers.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to track those carriers who have been previously cited for safety issues and ordered “out-of-service”. It is estimated that although the number of these reemerging carriers is small, they pose a significant safety threat to motorists across the country.

In an effort to stem this practice, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) has put in place new oversight measures. One measure includes a computer program, which can compare and match new applicants to poor-performing motor carriers dating back to 2003. However, this program cannot detect minor spelling changes or other deception efforts. Another measure is the requirement that all newly licensed carriers must undergo a safety audit within 18 months of approval.

Once FMCSA has determined the existence of a rogue and reemerged business, they must overcome many legal obstacles, such as proving corporate successorship, to force them out of service.