According to a CBS News investigation, the trucking industry in America is facing a great shortage of drivers and older drivers have been recruited. Because of the truck driving shortage, trucking companies have been recruiting older, “senior” drivers. CBS News conducted an investigation to see if the increase in older trucking drivers has increased accidents. CBS News analyzed crash data from the last three years, and found there was a 19 percent increase in commercial truck accidents and bus accidents involving drivers over 70 years old. The story cited several recent commercial truck and bus accidents, including one in Newark, New Jersey, where a bus was T-boned by another New Jersey Transit bus driven by a 70-year old. Two people died.
There have been calls for more Federal regulation of truck drivers and bus drivers. A former senior executive of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) noted that in the 1990s, the NHTSA considered implementing regular skills tests for older commercial drivers. Edith Pearce, of The Pearce Law Firm, is a Philadelphia truck accident lawyer and also handles age discrimination cases. According to Edith Pearce, “the issue with testing older drivers is that it could violate age discrimination laws. However, more safety training and increased regulation as to the amount of time truck drivers are allowed to drive without taking rests or breaks should be implemented immediately.” Experts agree that as people age, their stamina and reaction time generally decreases. As noted in the CBS News story, an association who represents truck drivers believes the majority of truck crashes are not caused by the truck drivers, but are caused by other drivers.
If you have been the victim of a truck accident or bus accident, you need the experience of a lawyer who has handled truck accidents in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Call The Pearce Law Firm to protect your rights.
