Our Lake Jackson truck accident lawyers are starting to believe that most of what’s bigger in Texas are the state’s alarming accident statistics. From drunk driving related fatalities to commercial vehicle related fatalities, Texas receives top billing on the statistics lists. On more positive lists, like the educational achievement list, Texas ranks near the bottom. I think we all need to work on reversing these trends.
Major David Palmer of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said that Texas led the U.S. in the number of its commercial vehicle related fatalities over the past four years. He said that Texas’ size helps explain its ranking in the number of fatalities.
Miles traveled by commercial vehicles, including 18-wheelers and passenger buses, may provide another part of the explanation for all of the commercial vehicle related fatalities and injuries. According to federal highway administration data from 2008, commercial vehicles traveled almost 21 BILLION miles in Texas that year.
The Texas DPS tries to enhance traffic safety and enforce compliance with safety regulations through a comprehensive group of programs targeted at specific areas, types of vehicles, and drivers. Operation Texas Thunder targets specific geographic areas to inspect commercial trucks and buses for safety. The areas targeted by Operation Texas Thunder respond both to accident data and area complaints.
A Texas DPS operation in McMullen County saw 64% of inspected vehicles taken out of service because of safety violations. Another Texas DPS operation centered on Corpus Christi resulted in 400 citations issued and 206 vehicles pulled from service for violations.
Operation Texas Thunder helps enhance safety on our Texas roads. But as the daily litany of serious truck accidents in the news reveals to our Lake Jackson truck accident lawyers, much remains to be done. And cargo always needs to be moved from point to point in Texas. In a slow economy with pressure on everyone to reduce costs, as one unsafe truck gets pulled out of service, another unsafe truck might just roll right up to take its place.