Truck drivers need to get to their destinations in New York and elsewhere on time and schedule. Unfortunately, a significant number of drivers travel at excess speeds to meet their goals. Speeding presents risks, and many truck drivers create dangers on the roads due to driving at unsafe speeds.
Per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2018 saw truck drivers receive 146,945 speeding violations. The figure reflects an increase over speeding violations in 2017. However, it’s important to not assume that these figures suggest most truck drivers operate recklessly. Roughly 3.5 million people work as truck drivers, so the nearly 147,000 speeding violations indicate that the overwhelming majority of drivers do not get pulled over. Still, the speeding violation figures raise alarms.
Speeding counts for a significant percentage of truck accidents. More than 800 speeding-related accidents in 2018 involved a fatality. Speeding reflects unsafe driving behavior because, in part, drivers cannot stop in time when traveling at an unsafe speed. Combined with other factors, such as trekking through a work zone or dealing with inclement weather, speeding might further increase dangers.
Truck drivers might not be the only ones responsible for speeding-related negligence. Advanced technology allows employers to track real-time movement and know where their truckers and cargo are at all times. Stats detailing speed likely appear in the data reports. When truckers travel at unsafe speeds and employers don’t address the issue, the employers might find themselves liable for accidents. A pattern of ignoring speeding may not look good for a trucking company in court.
A driver might be able to fight traffic violations in court. A traffic attorney may be of assistance to drivers fighting tickets.