injury lawyer | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

The ELD mandate that went effective Dec. 18, 2017 requires truckers and commercial carriers to input their worked hours on ELDs, or electronic logging devices. An exception to this new ELD rule allows truck drivers to track their hours on AOBRDs, or automatic on-board recording devices, until Dec. 16, 2019 if they are purchased before Dec. 18, 2017. A few other exceptions also apply to select truckers.

What can be praised about this rule is that it helps prevent tampering with work logs and helps ensure trucking companies are not forcing their employees to work longer than the legal limit. This law helps keep both truck drivers safe and protects other car drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians who must share the road with truckers.

But now the law is facing pushback. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), a lobbying arm of the trucking industry has filed a request with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to encourage the agency to exempt small transportation trucking businesses from the ELD mandate for five years.

The key fact here is that most trucking companies would qualify as small transportation trucking business. If OOIDA’s request is granted, it would gut the long-settled electronic logging device rule by allowing nearly all trucking companies to delay compliance for another five years.

What’s even more worrisome is that 25 Congress members have endorsed OOIDA’s request, calling it “responsibly constructed” in a letter to FMCSA’s Deputy Administrator.

Common sense safety regulations should never take a backseat to the trucking industry’s financial interests. When people’s lives are concerned, safety should always be the first priority. When there are no repercussions against the trucking industry for creating an environment of overworked, fatigued drivers, it is our community members that pay the ultimate price. As truck accident injury attorneys, we get to see firsthand the devastating results when a tired, overworked driver is behind the wheel of a truck.

If you were hurt in an accident involving a fatigued truck driver, know that it’s not your fault. The Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. offers help for the injured and holds the companies responsible for negligent behavior. Call us at 1-312-384-1920 or 1-800-693-1LAW or reach us by email to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has reported that over the past few decades cars have gotten safer and fatalities have gone down. This trend can be linked to advances in safety features, such as airbags, electronic stability control, and anti-lock brakes, among other technical advances.

While this same technology is also available for trucks and trailers, the trucking industry hasn’t implemented such safety equipment. In United States, only about 3% of the Class 8 trucks—the heaviest ones which includes most tractor-trailers—are equipped with any collision-avoidance technology. In Europe, most such heavy trucks are sold with this technology.

These large trucks are disproportionately involved in fatal accidents. According to the New York Times, these heavy trucks are involved in 1 out of 8 of all fatal accidents and 25% of all fatalities in construction-zone accidents.

The trucking industry claims the cost of these safety technologies hurt their bottom line. The trucking industry, through its chief trade group, the American Trucking Association, continues to lobby Congress against safety laws, claiming expenditures on safety technology will raise rates for shippers and consumers.

But what the trucking industry has failed to notice is that stronger safety measures prevent higher insurance rates and also prevent millions of dollars from being spent in resolving injury claims. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimates $99 billion to be the annual cost to the economy for truck and large vehicle crashes.

Many of these expenditures can be avoided if Congress were to pass a common-sense safety bill that addresses the concerns of car drivers, truck drivers, and creates a trucking industry that is safer and more profitable in the long run.

At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., we are safety advocates. Those who injure others through their careless actions must be held accountable for their wrongdoing. That is why our team of truck accident lawyers in Chicago has your back. With over 50 years of combined experience, we know the strategies the defense will use to discredit your injuries. But we bring commitment and expertise to each case and help you get results. Set up a free initial consultation with one of our truck accident attorneys in Chicago. Call 1 (312) 384-1920 or 1 (800) 693-1LAW, or reach us by email.