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Reporting Semi Truck Safety Issues

In 2009, semi trucks were involved in more than 3,000 fatal crashes. Approximately three-quarters of those crashes involved another moving motor vehicle. Despite U.S. Department of Transportation regulations limiting daily and weekly drive-times for long-distance truck drivers and requiring logs documenting daily hours and mileage, many truck drivers are paid by the mile and work close to the maximum conditions permitted. The long days and hard demands of driving and delivering products can interfere with a truck driver’s ability to safely operate the vehicle. Reporting semi truck safety issues can help decrease the number of fatal accidents involving commercial drivers

●Keep a pencil and notepad in a readily available area of your car. Many trucks are labeled with safety reporting bumper stickers that display a toll-free number to call and a vehicle identifier to provide. Having ready access to writing materials allows you to record that information and call when you are in a safe location to do so.

●Write down any identifying information from a truck that is being operated unsafely. Record the fleet-specific phone number and vehicle identifier, if available, the license plate state and number, and any distinguishing marks or logos. Take note of the location, mile marker and time that the incident occurred.

●Pull over at the closest safe location. Call the state patrol office to have an officer check on the driver. Contact the delivery fleet and inform the company of the behavior as well. The state patrol can determine whether the driver has broken any laws and possibly prevent an unsafe driver from causing a collision. Delivery fleets require private motorists to help identify and correct unsafe operators.

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