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NTSB Calls on FMCSA to Do More to FIght Trucker Fatigue and Prevent Deadly Truck Crashes

By Jack Lebowitz, Esq. and Vadim Mzhen, Esq.

Following its findings that the cause of a 2005 semi-trailer? bus crash in Wisconsin that claimed five lives and injured over 30 people happened because the truck driver had fallen asleep while driving, the National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implement new technology to fight trucker fatigue.

The deadly crash occurred when a bus carrying a high school band rammed into Kozlowski?s overturned large truck. The agency says that Kozlowski failed to get enough sleep during his off-time and nodded off right before his truck jackknifed.

While the jury for Kozlowski?s criminal trial acquitted the trucker of 12 felony and 21 misdemeanor charges and placed blame on the 78-year-old bus driver for not wearing his glasses, the agency?s findings conclude that even if he had worn his glasses, the motorcoach operator would have had a hard time seeing the truck in the dark.

The NTSB is recommending that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration:

? Put together a plan to install anti-fatigue technology in commercial carriers.
? Create a methodology to evaluate how well a motor carrier?s fatigue management strategy is working.

The NTSB is recommending that the National Highway Traffic Administration figure out whether it makes sense to install active braking and electronic stability control systems in commercial trucks. It also wants trucking companies to more closely monitor truck log books and make sure that their drivers are getting enough sleep in between their driving shifts.

If you or someone you love was injured in a Maryland truck crash, this is not the kind of case that you want to handle without an experienced truck crash attorney by your side.

Truck Driver Fell Asleep, NTSB Says, School Transportation News

Truck accidents justify crackdown on fatal link to drivers' fatigue, DelawareOnline.com, September 19, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Hours-of-Service Regulations, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

National Transportation Safety Board

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Contact Lebowitz & Mzhen today.

Full post as published by Maryland Accident Law Blog on October 03, 2008 (boomark / email).