Motorists on Arkansas roads often see the results of truck accidents. Some accidents are caused by driver negligence, such as speeding and fatigue. Others are the result of negligent truck maintenance.
As part of its annual surprise brake inspection, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance checked more than 50,000 wheels on over 6,300 commercial vehicles around the country and in Canada in May 2015. The inspectors checked for brake component violations as well as brake adjustment violations. As a result of the identified violations, approximately one of every seven inspected vehicles was grounded. The rate of violations is down slightly compared to the results from last year’s inspections. Brake-related violations constituted almost one-half of all out-of-service violations during the 2014 International Roadcheck Campaign.
One finding of note from the inspections was the disproportionate performance of brakes with manual adjusters, which were 2.5 times more likely to be out of compliance compared to self-adjusting brakes. Self-adjusting brakes have been required on U.S. commercial vehicles since 1994. However, many older vehicles with manual brake adjusters remain on the road, creating potential hazards.
Government regulations and safety campaigns will never be able to keep all poorly-maintained commercial vehicles off the road. Unfortunately, the driving public often pays the price for the poor maintenance. An individual who has been injured in a truck accident may want to consult with a personal injury lawyer who has experience with these matters. Legal counsel may be able to investigate the case to determine whether negligent maintenance caused the crash and may be able to obtain a financial settlement to compensate the victim for medical expenses and lost earnings.