How many people could we save from an untimely death due to a truck crash, if the U.S. would wake up and follow the example of other countries like the United Kingdom or Canada? Look at how much tougher they are on truckers in Britain – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/10904178/Foreign-truckers-to-be-fined-for-driving-while-tired.html
And take a look at Canada:
https://canadasafetycouncil.org/safety-canada-online/article/driver-fatigue-falling-asleep-wheel
“…Driving while fatigued is comparable to driving drunk, only there is not the same social stigma attached. Like alcohol, fatigue affects our ability to drive by slowing reaction time, decreasing awareness and impairing judgment. Driving while sleep impaired is a significant issue, and is no longer tolerated. Legislation {in Canada} is beginning to change by handling collisions cause by a fatigued driver as seriously as alcohol-impaired crashes.”
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/documents/pdf/prevention/html/fatigue_management.html
Maybe, here in our country, we need a different, less-fragmented approach to solving the problem of truck driver fatigue–one that would bring together Public Health (Driving While Fatigued is a public health issue), Labor (truck drivers need to be paid and scheduled differently), and Transportation (the many factors that go into monitoring our transportation system–including CDL programs, technology, insurance, & safety measures like underride guards) experts. Let’s get the States to work together on this, too, so that the solutions which are created can be more effective through consistency and enforcement.
See how governors are working together: http://ghsa.org/html/issues/
And look at this recent enforcement activity: http://cdllife.com/…/troopers-target-trucks-make-59…/
Let’s face it: we can’t get along without the trucking industry, so let’s make it the best it can be!
“Our current consumer driven economy is driven by our ability to offer a wide choice of competing products with wide scale or ‘intensive’ distribution. Consumers take for granted the choices available whether for a ‘commodity’ such as milk or high value products such as electronics. Store direct delivery and delivery of Internet purchases would not be possible without the trucking industry….
Our freight transportation system enables consumers to enjoy the availability of goods which are not produced in their immediate locale because of climate or soil conditions, the lack of raw materials, utilities, or labor, or the cost of production. Such a system allows consumers a choice of goods which would not otherwise be available….
One of the challenges of the motor carrier industry is to maintain tightly scheduled transit times to meet customer requirements….If you don’t believe transportation is important, just ask Etoys.com or KidsRUs.com. Better still, ask Santa Claus who operates the most efficient transport we have ever seen.” http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/freight_planning/archive/weart.cfm
LET’S ESTABLISH A WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE TO PROTECT TRAVELERS FROM TRUCK CRASHES! See my detailed recommendations here: Establishing a White House Task Force to Protect Travelers From Truck Crashes (1)
