Statistics on truck accidents in the United States show that at least five thousand lives are claimed every year. Truck accidents involving big vehicles have been observed to increase about ten percent in the past ten years. For example in the State of Illinois, six thousand large truck accidents were documented in 2006 alone. Of these large truck crashes, two thousand cases led to death.

It has been observed that excessive speeding is the main cause of the high statistics on truck accidents. In addition, the high chance of having an accident involving large trucks could be ascribed to the truck’s large blind spots, and aggravated when cars or vehicles of small size are going on a very fast rate and swerving in and out of traffic. Horrific accidents do happen when this car try to pass the truck and the truck is in its blind spots as there is a big chance that the truck hits the car. This terrible scenario could end in the car underneath the truck as shown by the picture below.

In Illinois, excessive speeding is the main reason why there is a high number of truck accidents  according to civil rights lawyers in Chicago. There is a high chance of an accident due to truck’s large blind spots and when small cars are going on fast speed and swerving in and out of traffic. Usually, if cars attempt to pass the truck, the truck might hit the car if it were in its blind spots and might result in a fatal accident where the car ends up underneath the truck.

 Trucking accidents either cause serious injury or horrifying death. The accident might be intensified when the truck that is involved in an accident carries with it hazardous and volatile substances, like oil. One step to lessen or avoid these shocking and catastrophic results of truck accidents is the stringent compliance of truck drivers and truck companies with national and state trucking laws.

Trucking laws provides protection for citizens from truck accidents. says  an attorney at Dolan Law Offices Trucking laws are legislated to promote safety as these laws oblige truck companies and truck drivers to adhere to strict standards. Truck accidents usually happen when violations of these laws are committed. Basically, trucking laws lay down different standards and regulations related to the following:

• License for commercial truck drivers.
• Alcohol and substance abuse
• Driver credentials/driver requirements
• Number of hours rendered by drivers
• Driving of commercial motor vehicles
• Examination, repair and maintenance compliance of tractor-trailer

 

 

In Illinois, the Illinois Department of Public Safety has espoused some provisions of the federal regulations. Here are the provisions that regulate and rule trucks operation in the state.

·         Driver requirements- Illinois has espoused Part 391 of the Federal Regulation with some exceptions, like the minimum limit on the age of commercial operator/driver which is 18, rather than the usual 21. Illinois law also permits insulin dependent diabetics and drivers with vision problem to drive if they have been driving before July 29^th, 1986.

·         Number of work hours- Part 395 of the Federal Regulations has been espoused with some exclusions, like driver’s exclusion from duty status recording when he is within a 150-air-mile radius of the usual work reporting site, In addition, agricultural activities of motor vehicles are excused from the hours of service requirements during planting and harvesting seasons.

These are typically the areas covered by trucking laws. In recent news, Government Pat Quinn signed a new law allowing trucks to travel 65 miles per hour in 2010. At present, the state permits truck drivers to go up as 55 miles per hour on the road. In the United States, about 40 states now permit truckers to drive at higher speeds than 55 miles per hour.