Remembering Brooke, and the death that broke his heart

On Friday, I received a message from the brother of one of my clients. My former client had suddenly passed away on Christmas Day. His cause of death was not immediately known. In my mind, it was caused by a broken heart. I represented Brooke about 10 years ago, but his story stays with me. I met Brooke after the death of his wife. She had been driving home from the store after picking up candles so that she and Brooke could share a special dinner together on Friday night. A semi-truck trailer came loose and crashed into her small pick-up truck. That crash was so needless, and could have been easily prevented with some reasonable care. When Brooke came home that

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Why trucking companies should check their own drivers for sleep apnea

Sleep apnea, a disorder causing repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, affects at least one in 10 people. In serious cases, obstructive sleep apnea can cause someone to fall asleep with little to no warning. In 2016, after a spate of high-profile train crashes and fatal truck crashes caused by sleeping drivers, the Obama administration looked for a proactive approach to preventing such tragedies. One idea: make testing train engineers and truck drivers for sleep apnea a requirement. After 18 months of considering and reviewing a sleep apnea testing rule, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration made an announcement. They withdrew the proposed rule. There will be no requirement for sleep apnea testing of commercial

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What happens when sleep is a safety issue?

Recently, I reviewed a Police Report where the truck driver admitted he only had 3 hours of sleep the night before he caused a serious crash.* For many of us, losing a couple of hours of sleep at night just means we’re a little less productive the next day. When your job is driving—especially if you’re driving an 80,000 lb. semi-truck— a lack of sleep can be truly dangerous. Sleep deprivation: an underreported cause of crashes. Driving can be exhausting, especially in heavy traffic or bad weather. “Asleep at the wheel” is a suspected factor in about 5% of truck crash fatalities. But, past studies by NTSB suggest that fatigue and/or sleep deprivation contribute to 30-40% of crashes (PDF). But “drowsiness” is

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Why these 4 blind spots in trucks are still a huge safety problem

A “blind spot” is an area around the vehicle that the driver can’t see in the mirrors. All vehicles have them, but semi-trucks have 4 big blind spots. Here a truck’s blind spots, or “no-zones”: Left side, under the cab mirror; Right side, under the cab mirror and extending out; In front of the truck cab, at least 20 feet; and Behind the trailer, at least 30 feet. Remember, if you can’t see a semi truck’s mirrors, the truck driver can’t see you. While it’s true that it is the truck driver’s responsibility to change lanes safely, and to check for other vehicles, we all have a responsibility to drive safely and avoid crashes whenever possible. Recommended Article: Actual Settlement

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Trucking company tells drivers: Don’t stop when you’re tired …

This meme was posted on the Facebook page for a Texas trucking company, Stevens Transport, last week. Is this the message that trucking companies send to tired truck drivers? Don’t comply with federal laws. Don’t concern yourself with anyone’s safety. Due to the controversy—many truck drivers joined safety advocates in expressing concern—the company pulled the Facebook post. In a statement, a trucking company representative blamed “an intern who has been with Stevens Transport for only a few weeks and whose inexperience led him to include a message that was both tone deaf and wrong.” Yes, Stevens Transport posted a “tone deaf ” message. It was “wrong”. It was absurd. But it was not an anomaly. Bill Graves is the president

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6 important details from NTSB report on Tracy Morgan semi-truck crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is tasked with investigating serious transportation accidents. On August 11, the NTSB issued their initial report on a 2014 fatal semi-truck crash that killed one man, and seriously injured several others—including actor Tracy Morgan. See background, details on the fatal truck crash Six important details from the semi-truck crash report 1. The semi-truck could have stopped at 45 mph. The crash occurred at the start of a work zone. Multiple signs, beginning a mile back, alerted drivers to the work zone speed limit: 45 mph. The truck driver never slowed down, and struck the rear of the limo van at 65 mph. Had he been traveling at or below the speed limit of 45

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Remembering Brooke, and the death that broke his heart

Why trucking companies should check their own drivers for sleep apnea

What happens when sleep is a safety issue?

Why these 4 blind spots in trucks are still a huge safety problem

Trucking company tells drivers: Don’t stop when you’re tired …

6 important details from NTSB report on Tracy Morgan semi-truck crash

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