Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Commercial motor carrier companies are currently able to electronically access driving, inspection, and crash records of potential hires, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The only flaw with this system is that all driving records may not be available to potential employers. Drivers are easily able to alter, even erase, records before applying for a position with another carrier.
Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers know that motorists are at increased risk for an accident because of these irresponsible drivers if action is not being taken to keep the flawed records out in the open and readily available for potential employers.
The FMCSA currently allows trucking employers to access up to three years of the driver’s safety violation data and up to five years of crash information for any driver in their pre-employment screening program. Road Safe and the American Trucking Association believe this system is flawed as it does not allow access to positive drug and alcohol tests. These hidden records can cause an increased risk for a potentially fatal West Palm Beach car accident.
The two organizations are teaming up in a push for a central clearinghouse to keep track of commercial vehicle drivers who’ve previously tested positive for drug and alcohol use. The bill, The Safe Roads Act, S. 1113, was initially introduced by Senators Pryor, Snowe, Nelson and Wicker back in May of 2009, reports Road Safe.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, in 2009, there were more than 3,000 fatalities and approximately 701,000 people injured in accidents involving these large trucks. An estimated 296,000 large trucks were involved in these crashes in 2009. Nearly 3,500 vehicles were involved in fatal accidents with a large truck in Florida alone.
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking accident in Florida, contact our personal injury lawyers of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-529-2368 .