In the state of Texas, trucks carrying hazardous materials must follow designated haz-mat routes to safely pass through population centers. However, the routes are only mandatory for cities with a population of 850,000 or more, excluding many mid-size cities. The route maps haz-mat direct trucks away from schools and other population dense areas, and without them truckers are left to decide on their own which route to take.
Haz-Mat Route Requirements Are Too Relaxed
For example, Corpus Christie does not have haz-mat routes although many consider it to be a significant Texas city. This is the case despite the fact that a half million trucks a year carry hazardous materials through Corpus Christie. Smaller cities and towns can elect to create the routes if they want to, and Crockett, Texas with a population of 6600 has a designated highway loop for haz-mat trucks. It is hard to understand why a large city would not make the effort to create a route for this type of cargo when it is clearly in the public interest. The shale oil industry has increased the number of haz-mat trucks on the road, who are often carrying chemicals or other waste products as cargo.
Lack of Haz-Mat Routes Compounds the Risk of Accidents
The need for these routes is amplified by the behavior of truck drivers who are pressed into working long hours by their employers with vehicles in need of repair. Truckers may spend as many as 70 hours a week behind the wheel, and are often using energy drinks or stimulants to stay awake and meet delivery deadlines. Still, it is all too common for these drivers to fall asleep at the wheel, or exceed posted speed limits, which could mean catastrophe if an accident were to occur inside a large town or city.
Additional safety concerns arise surrounding the maintenance of these haz-mat trucks. Federal transportation data revealed that haz-mat trucks operating in Texas had the following repair issues:
These are disturbing numbers considering the threat to public safety if a truck is involved in an accident. One would think that the trucking companies would have an interest in keeping their trucks in good repair to avoid accidents and liability for injuries. However, the opposite appears to be true and there are numerous reports of false repair reports and defective vehicles being sent back out on the roads for another delivery.
Cities Need to Take Responsibility for Haz-Mat Routes
The transportation of hazardous materials is part of many industries in the United States and for this reason there are strict requirements on driver training, truck inspections and using haz-mat routes. However, cities must participate in creating the routes even if not required, as one way to protect citizens from potential spills of hazardous materials. Texas enjoys the economic benefits of the boom in the oil and gas industry and it is time to use some of those funds to create systems of regulations and enforcement to protect residents from harm.