Certain measures to prevent 18-wheeler accidents may not work

There are many measures and safety regulations in place that truck drivers must follow. In order to reduce the number of 18-wheeler accidents and make the roads safer for all motorists, the trucking industry has adopted the use of electronic logging devices in semitrailers and other large commercial vehicles. These devices are intended to reduce tiredness experienced by truckers who put in long hours behind the wheel by having them electronically log their hours.

Too many hours driving can lead to fatigue-related truck accidents. While mandating that drivers log the number of hours behind the wheel electronically sounds like it would be a good idea, Louisiana readers may be interested to note that the implementation of ELDs has not done much to reduce accidents. The statistics between small truck fleets and large fleets differ slightly, but there is little reason to believe ELDs are helpful for the purpose of reducing crashes.

While ELDs may not reduce the frequency of accidents, there are a few positive effects to their implementation. It has led to greater compliance with industry hours of service standards. It does appear, unfortunately, that drivers may be engaging in other dangerous behaviors, such as speeding, in order to make up for fewer hours allowed behind the wheel.

There are many reasons why 18-wheeler accidents happen. When a Louisiana motorist suffers harm because of a tired or reckless truck driver, he or she has the right to pursue compensation through a civil claim. A complete evaluation of the case can help identify what happened and how to move forward.