Trucking safety can affect many other people than just those who are involved in the trucking industry. Lawmakers, regulators and the industry itself are all supposed to work together toward making tucking safer, which ultimately means safer highways for everyone. Drivers in Ocala may be interested in some recent developments in federal trucking regluations that could impact trucking safety in the future.
Political wrangling in Washington D.C. could mean the end of certain federal trucking regulations. The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives recently released a $55 billion funding bill for the 2016 fiscal year. Part of that amount is earmarked for the Department of Transportation, but those spending provisions apparently include repeals of certain regulations that are unpopular amongst trucking companies.
Among the current federal trucking regulations that could be up for debate are limits on the length and weight of trucks. According to a group called the Truck Safety Coalition, these limits are important for the safety of truckers, but also for people in passenger vehicles, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians who share roadways with trucks. Congress was due to have a scheduling hearing on the issue, which the safety group planned to attend.
Regardless of how the spending bill and other federal trucking regulations turn out, semi-truck accidents will continue to occur in Florida and all throughout the country. Of course, the stakes are much higher when it comes to these accidents because the damages and injuries can be so much greater with truck accidents than with other motor vehicle accidents.
Politics aside, all groups and drivers should be on board with making the roads and highways safer. One way to push for safety is for truck accident victims and their families to use legal action to hold the truck companies accountable.
Source: The Hill, “GOP spending bill reignites trucking debate,” Keith Laing, April 29, 2015
