Marietta Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

As with most industries, the world of trucking has seen a myriad of changes over recent years. While a more diverse demographic now nearly dominates the industry, there are aspects of truck driving that do not change. Even with these changes, Georgia trucking employees know the typical challenges of the job all too well.

One aspect of trucking that has seen some major modifications involves the workers themselves. FleetOwner magazine shared last September that shifting demographics are changing truck driver management as a whole. How does this affect the average employee? FleetOwner goes on to state that, with an aging trucker population, the industry currently aims to attract younger employees, as well as women and minority groups. Possible approaches include offering higher pay, prolonged time with loved ones and extended personal outreach. At the time of the article's release, roughly 40 percent of employees were minorities and about 6 percent were women.

When a serious accident occurs in Georgia, it is likely to be investigated with the help of a traffic reconstruction expert. The law enforcement entity in charge of the investigation may have a specialist or team of specialists on staff or on contract to help when needed. The at-fault driver may also have an independent expert on his legal team, or the insurer may hire one to help determine fault.

According to crashforensics.com, police are looking for help determining whether a criminal act was involved in the crash, such as speeding, alcohol use, or maybe a driver fell asleep at the wheel. Both police and independent inspectors are looking for the cause of the accident.

Spreading awareness about the dangers of distracted driving is one matter; practicing safety while driving is another one entirely. Countless Georgia residents can admit to driving distracted at least once in their lives; most would not think twice about sending a quick text while stopped at a red light. The statistics, however, shed light on inherent dangers of this driving habit, and reveal that they are not as risk-free as some might assume.

Using a recent study, cycling enthusiast magazine Ice Bike shares that over 3,000 people die each day as a result of a car accident. Of the 2.5 million people in the country who become involved in road accidents each year, 1.6 million also involve cell phones. Unfortunately, so many of these accidents could have been prevented. Ice Bike is hardly the first to mention the dangers that come along with today's era of technology: mobile phones have allowed for quicker networking, but also can lead to more hazardous driving. Ice Bike considers texting and driving to be an epidemic deserving of nationwide attention, stating that more states should adopt texting and driving laws to protect its citizens.  

Among the many risks that you face when taking to the road in Georgia is being hit by a drunk driver or a drugged driver. When this impaired driver happens to be a commercially licensed driver operating a large and heavy vehicle like a tractor trailer, the consequences of an accident can be gruesome and tragic to say the least. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the arm of the federal government tasked with monitoring commercial transportation nationwide and maintaining public safety.

The FMCSA has developed what it calls its Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse in an effort to curb and ideally eliminate instances of drugged or drunk driving by truckers. The clearinghouse is essentially a database repository of testing and violation records for drivers with commercial driving licenses. The program requires that truckers submit to substance testing before they can be hired for a driving job. The results of these tests are logged to the database. Failure of a test may prevent them from being able to drive commercially.