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Truck safety campaign shows dangers

On Behalf of | May 11, 2023 | Truck Accidents |

Georgia drivers are understandably cautious when sharing the road with large trucks. These massive vehicles are traveling at great speed and drivers tend to be slightly more aggressive than those in passenger vehicles. Often, a trucker’s livelihood is based on getting to a destination by a certain time. With that, they will take certain liberties to achieve their goal.

This can place others in jeopardy of catastrophic injuries and loss of life in a crash. While other drivers might have vague notion of how truckers behave behind the wheel, it can be useful to keep track of how law enforcement periodically cracks down on truckers. After an accident has happened, it could have been due to driver violations. This could be a vital aspect of a possible legal case.

Georgia truck violation blitz results in various citations

Since truckers are prone to dangerous behaviors on the road, law enforcement occasionally has a blitz to cite drivers to emphasize the importance of vigilance and safety. Recently, the Georgia Department of Public Safety had a large-scale enforcement period over three days.

The reasons for which truckers were cited should also be a sign for drivers who share the road with them of the possible reasons for collisions. If, for example, a trucker is distracted, they might weave in and out of lanes, miss curves in the road or not see a vehicle on either side of them.

The Motor Carrier Compliance Division made nearly 500 inspections of trucks. More than 100 were hazardous material (HAZMAT) related. Twenty-three drivers were taken off the road as were 64 commercial vehicles.

The citations that were given out broke down as follows: 42 drivers were using a cellphone or were otherwise distracted behind the wheel; 32 were speeding; 18 were using the wrong lane; and nine were following too closely. Any of these behaviors can be the catalyst for an accident.

Gathering evidence

Truck accidents can happen for myriad reasons. Those who have been injured or lost a loved one in this type of accident must be aware that they will need to accrue evidence as to how it came about.

If the driver was on the road for too long and was drowsy, this would likely be shown in their truck log. If they were under the influence, testing will prove that. Their cellphone record can indicate if they were distracted.

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