CSP on Alert for Truckers Avoiding Weigh Stations

 Posted on April 20, 2021 in Personal Injury

The national statistics for deadly truck accidents are alarming. According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there are almost 500,000 truck crashes that occur each year in the United States, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and almost 110,000 injured victims. The majority of those injuries range from serious to catastrophic.

In fatal truck accidents that involve a passenger vehicle and a semi, more than 95 percent of the victims who are killed are the occupants in the passenger vehicles. Truck accidents account for more than 10 percent of all fatal vehicle accidents each year.

Colorado State Patrol Set Up Mobile Check-Ins

These ever-increasing numbers of truck accidents have led the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) to be on the lookout for truckers who try to evade weigh stations that the state has set up to ensure that trucks that travel on Colorado roads are in good working order and are not over the weight limit. These check-ins also are an opportunity to make sure that truck drivers operating these massive vehicles are properly licensed and are adhering to federal regulations regarding hours of service that truckers are allowed to operate.

CSP has now set up mobile units and caravans to flag down truckers traveling on roads that avoid the weigh stations. Some of the issues that law enforcement has found in these mobile check-in stations include truck drivers who do not have a valid commercial driver’s license (CDL) and trucks that are oversized and overweight. They are also finding truck drivers who have exceeded the number of hours they are allowed to operate.

Fatigued truck drivers have become a serious issue, causing up to 20 percent of all fatal truck accidents every year. Truck drivers are required to obey the following hours of service set forth by the FMCSA:

• Drivers can only operate a maximum of 11 hours and only after having 10 consecutive hours off duty.
• After driving for eight cumulative hours, drivers are required to take a 30-minute break.
• Drivers cannot exceed 60 hours of driving within seven consecutive days or 70 hours of driving within eight consecutive days. A driver must take a minimum of 34 hours off before restarting a 7/8 consecutive driving schedule again.

Let a Fort Collins Personal Injury Attorney Help

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation or the losses your injuries have caused you to suffer. Truck accident cases are often much more complex than other types of accident cases and require the skill and experience of a Larimer County truck accident attorney. Call Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. at 970-225-2190 to schedule a free and confidential consultation and find out what your legal options may be.

Sources:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2018#A5

https://www.koaa.com/news/deep-dive/csp-stopping-truckers-in-east-colorado-springs-trying-to-bypass-i-25-weigh-stations