Truck Safety * USA - From one passenger’s perspective

The take-away was this: truck drivers are subject to extensive scrutiny by law enforcement

Houston,TX,USA -The Houston Chronicle, by CAROLYN FEIBEL -April 26, 2009: -- But one of the most interesting days was the one I spent riding along with truck safety officers in East Harris County. Since then, I haven’t looked at an 18-wheeler in the same way... Unlike cars, commercial trucks can be pulled over at any time, without cause, to have their brake lines checked and their loads poked and prodded. Major companies turn somersaults to keep their loads secured and their drivers in line, in order to avoid delays and keep insurance rates down. But a few rogue companies and truck drivers have given the public a poor perception of how commercial truckers operate... I heard stories about truckers failing to strap down pipes, chains and giant industrial generators. In a wreck, those items could become fatal missiles. So can the tractor-trailer itself. Truck inspection officers for Houston and other municipalities write hundreds of tickets a month, and most of them are for poorly secured cargo and bad brakes, said Sgt. Teresa Curry, who heads the Houston Police Department’s truck safety unit... Scary stories aside, most wrecks involving trucks are caused by cars, Curry said. Cars often swerve or stop suddenly in front of 18-wheelers. Car drivers need to give trucks a wide berth and also stay out of a trucker’s blind spot. If you can’t see the driver’s face in the truck’s side mirrors, the driver can’t see your car... You may be reassured to know that many truck companies have safety officials who spend a lot of time driving the roads and spying on their drivers. The local group of such officials, the Houston Council of Safety Professionals, even sponsors an annual safety championship for local drivers, a sort of trucking rodeo. Yours truly will definitely fill you in from that event, next month... (Photo truck-accident-lawyer-blog: TruckSafety)