The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety [1] Administration (FMCSA) has amended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to establish minimum performance and design standards for hours-of-service electronic logging devices as well as requirements concerning hours-of-service supporting documents for commercial truck drivers. The Electronic Logging Device Rule [2] improves commercial motor vehicle safety and reduces the paperwork burden for both motor carriers and drivers by increasing the use of electronic logging devices in vehicles manufactured after the year 2000.
Electronic Logging Devices Make the Roads Safer for all Michigan Drivers
An electronic logging device synchronizes with a vehicle engine to automatically record driving time, for easier and more accurate hours-of-service (HOS) records. The Rule compliance date is December 18, 2017, and both carriers and drivers who are using paper logs or logging software must transition to electronic devices prior to that time. FMCSA estimates that the Rule will save 26 lives and prevent 562 injuries resulting from crashes involving large commercial motor vehicles based on their safety study [3] that found significant reductions in the overall crash rate and the preventable crash rate for trucks with electronic devices compared to those trucks that do not have such electronic logging devices (EDL).
Michigan Injuries Caused by Truck-Auto Collisions
When a large tractor trailer or another type of commercial truck collides with a smaller passenger vehicle, the potential for severe or even catastrophic injuries is substantial. According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 3,964 fatalities[4] in large truck accidents in 2013. Further, while large trucks accounted for 4% of all registered vehicles in 2012, they accounted for 8% of all vehicles involved in fatal crashes. Based upon the FMCSA estimates, these numbers should decrease as of 2018 after the new rule is implemented therefore preventing Michigan car accident injuries and fatalities.
Contact an Experienced Michigan Auto Accident Attorney
If you have been involved in a collision with a commercial truck, you have likely sustained very serious injuries and even disabilities. The trucking company will likely mount an aggressive defense to challenge fault and/or the nature and severity of your injuries in order to limit its liability as much as possible. To protect your rights to recovery, it is critical to have an experienced auto accident attorney handling your case. Speak to an experienced Michigan automobile accident attorney by calling the Michigan Injury Lawyers today at 313-GET-HELP for a free consultation.
References:
[1] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/electronic-logging-devices
[2] https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-12-16/pdf/2015-31336.pdf
[3] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/FMCSA-ELD-Final-Rule_12-10-2015.pdf
[4] http://www.iii.org/issue-update/auto-crashes