Fulton County Cracks Down on Unsafe Trucking Practices
If sharing the road with tractor trailers doesn’t make the average Atlanta commuter a little nervous, then the following safety statistics should. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 31 percent of all Georgia trucking accidents resulting in fatalities occurred in Fulton County in 2011. If that statistic isn’t frightening enough, consider that deaths from tractor trailer accidents account for more than 13 percent of all vehicle fatalities in the entire county.
This past summer, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration decided that enough was enough. The organization helped to pass new laws that focus on minimizing the fatigue associated with long hours on the road and reducing the risk of tragic trucking accidents. Advocates of motor vehicle safety believe that these new laws will help to prevent a total of 1,400 crashes and save innocent lives.
New trucking laws mandate that tractor trailer drivers:
- Cannot work more than 14 hours in a 24 hour period.
- Cannot record more than 70 hours of work during a specified work week.
- Must take a 30 minutes rest for every 8 hours of recorded work.
If truck drivers or trucking companies are caught violating these new laws, they will be subject to any and all fines imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Trucking Accidents at Moraitakis & Kushel, LLP
Although it is good to know that Atlanta lawmakers are working to keep our roads safe, accidents still happen. The Atlanta trucking accident attorneys at Moraitakis & Kushel, LLP are committed to helping victims of trucking accidents gain the compensation and peace of mind that they deserve.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in an Atlanta trucking accident, call Moraitakis & Kushel, LLP at 404-973-0341 for a free initial consultation.