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The vast majority of products and goods that are delivered to stores and our homes are transported over the open road by semi-truck drivers. This means there is a large number of trucks on the roads every single day of the week. For other motorists, sharing the road with a large semi-truck does have its risks.
To answer the question whether you should report a truck driver, our semi-truck accidents lawyers want you to consider the following information. If the semi-truck driver is driving erratically, is distracted, or even has fallen asleep behind the wheel, the end result could be a serious accident with life-threatening injuries or even death.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 4,440 large trucks and buses involved in fatal accidents in 2016, with 4,213 large-truck accidents.1 Here in Texas, there was a total of 449 fatal crashes with 584 fatalities involving large trucks in 2016, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TDOT).2
To help give you some perspective, the figures of the FMCSA and TDOT only account for fatal crashes. Just here in Texas in 2016, TDOT recorded a total of 34,108 accidents involving commercial motor vehicles.2 Nationwide, there are approximately half a million accidents involving commercial motor vehicles every single year!
With so many accidents, it is no wonder that commercial trucking companies put “How am I driving?” stickers on their vehicles, along with contact details. The purpose of these stickers is to enable the general public to report bad truck drivers to their employers. By reporting drivers who are not operating their large semi-trucks correctly, it could potentially help prevent an accident and save someone’s life.
When Should You Call 911 and Report a Semi-truck Driver?
You need to remember the problem, with semi-truck accidents, is when they hit smaller motor vehicles the damages are profound and personal injuries are life-changing. In a large number of accidents, death is unavoidable.
If you notice semi-truck drivers weaving back and forth, speeding up and then slowing down, texting on their smartphones, or driving in a manner that is not deemed safe, it is a good idea to call 911. State, county, and local police agencies can potentially get the truck drivers off the road before they cause accidents.
If the truck has a “How am I driving?” sticker, you should also contact the driver’s employer and report the driver. If a truck driver gets an excessive number of complaints or is stopped by the police for bad driving, that person could be taken off the road until he or she receives further training or even loses his or her commercial driver license. Either way, getting truck drivers who cannot safely operate and drive large commercial vehicles off the road will make the roads safer for everyone.
If you were or a family member was injured as the result of a truck driver not driving safely, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical treatment and bills, loss of income, and more. Please feel free to contact Schechter, McElwee, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. at 713.574.5089 for a free consultation with our Houston TX auto and truck accident injury lawyers today!
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