Hundreds of truck and bus companies ordered to shut down because of safety violations stay in business simply by changing their business names, according to a government study.
The companies were ordered to close for violations including suspended licenses and failure to test employees for drug use. The Government Accountability Office study was obtained by the Associated Press.
After receiving fines, citations and orders to close shop, 1,073 commercial trucking companies have been resurrected, often by the same owners, using the same address, employees and business phone numbers. Over 200 bus companies have similarly reincarnated.
Dangerous Trucks
Because of their sheer size, big rigs are dangerous whether they are licensed properly or not. In 2007, 4,584 large trucks (weighing at least 10,000 pounds and up to 80,000 pounds) were in fatal crashes. Although trucks make up only 4 percent of all vehicles on the road, they accounted for 12 percent of all fatalities in 2007. In addition, 101,000 people were injured in crashes involving tractor-trailers.
In crashes with large trucks, 75 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the other vehicle, while only 17 percent were occupants of the big rigs (another 8 percent were non-occupants of the vehicles).
The ratios for injuries resulting from crashes with large trucks were similar: 23 percent were occupants of the trucks, while 75 percent were occupants of the other vehicle and 2 percent were non-occupants of vehicles.
Tips for Staying Safe
Safety experts say drivers of passenger vehicles should be aware of the dangers of driving near big rigs. Avoid the truck’s blind spots. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t see a large truck’s rearview mirrors, its driver can’t see your vehicle. In addition, experts urge you to avoid tailgating and to move into another lane if a large truck tailgates you.
