Truck Driver Log | Pennsylvania Accident Lawyer
PA Truck Accident Law Firm Examines Drivers' Logs
Contact Mikus Law Associates, P.C. to schedule a consultation regarding a serious truck accident in Pennsylvania. The truck driver log may tell the story needed to reconstruct the trucking crash and its causes.
Driver Fatigue and Distractibility
Driver fatigue and driver distraction are the two most common causes of trucking accidents. Therefore, truck drivers are required to keep logs showing their hours loading the trailer, hours driving, hours resting (in a sleeper berth or in a motel) and maintenance of the truck.
As experienced truck accident attorneys, we compare the truck driver log to such things as loading and delivery records, toll records, refueling receipts, cell phone records, and motel receipts. If drivers falsify their driver records, we are often able to detect and prove the existence of discrepancies, thanks to our extensive knowledge of the trucking industry.
Truck Drivers Often Push the Limits of Allowable Driving Time
Effective on January 4, 2004, the federal hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers were changed to increase the number of hours truck drivers can drive in a 24-hour period. The law now allows interstate truck drivers to drive 11 hours in a work period. It prohibits driving more than 14 hours after coming on duty and requires at least 10 consecutive hours off-duty to re-qualify for a new work period. Close scrutiny of the truck driver log may reveal whether a driver drove for even more hours than the law now allows.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse May Be a Factor in a Crash
Because of the size and destructive capabilities of tractor trailers, the allowed blood alcohol content (BAC) for commercial truck drivers is only 0.04%. Driver intoxication is not as big a problem as it once was. Stringent monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Transportation and in-house testing programs by the major carriers have substantially reduced the problem. Only 1 to 3% of truck accidents are caused by alcohol use by the truck driver. As experienced truck accident attorneys, this is still something that we check, although drunk driving by truck drivers is currently an infrequent occurrence.
Today, drug use is a bigger problem. Drivers with commercial drivers licenses (CDLs) are subject to drug testing. Motor carriers who employ CDL drivers must have a drug and alcohol testing program. The Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety’s study of interstate tractor-trailer drivers found that:
- 15% of all drivers had marijuana in their system;
- 12% had non-prescription stimulants;
- 5% had prescription stimulants;
- 2% had cocaine; and
- less than 1% had alcohol.
An experienced truck accident lawyer is the place to start the investigation into who was responsible in injury and wrongful death claims. Contact us to schedule a free initial consultation.
