Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

Safety advocates decry absence of minimum trucker training hours

On Behalf of | Jan 26, 2017 | Truck Accidents |

Sharing the road with large trucks on Monmouth County’s many highways can be intimidating. Like other drivers, you rely on the fact that the people behind the wheel of those trucks are highly trained and able to handle their vehicle safely. At Escandon, Fernicola, Anderson & Covelli, we understand that driving safely is very important to you and that being in an accident with a truck can have huge consequences.

Safe driving by truckers is an important issue and that is why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacts rules that govern entry-level truck drivers. However, some are concerned that a recent final rule did not include a requirement that new truckers obtain real-world experience before hitting the road, reports Trucks.com. This is despite the fact that such a requirement was included in the initial proposal of the new rules. A group has petitioned that the effective date of the new rule be stayed and that the FMCSA reconsider requiring road training for new drivers.

While many states and private driver training schools do require drivers to complete on the road training, the absence of a federal requirement to do so may put drivers of smaller vehicles at risk. The FMCSA cited cost as the main issue. Since it is difficult to prove that the additional training would increase safety, it argues, the increased costs of training would not be justified.

This may be little comfort if you or someone you know was injured or killed in accident caused by an inexperienced truck driver. For more information on crashes caused by truck drivers, please visit our web page.