One of the goals of this blog is to educate the public about all things related to the semi-truck driving industry. One topic we have failed to discuss is the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration - an arm of the Department of Transportation itself.
The FMCSA is located in Washington D.C. and at last count employed a thousand people. Their mission is to improve the safety of commercial motor vehicles and truck drivers by enacting relevant legislation and then enforcing it.
It came into existence in 2000 and currently includes a number of subdivisions including but not limited to analysis, environment, research and technology - each addressing concerns specific to motor carrier safety. For instance, FMCSA oversees procedures that incorporate environmental considerations into informed decision making while assuring compliance with the National Environmental Protection Agency.
In 2010 the FMCSA enacted a program entitled CSA or Comprehensive Safety Accountability. This 'comprehensive' idea is meant to 'improve truck and bus safety by reducing the number and severity of collisions and the accompanying injuries and fatalities. It should come as no surprise to learn that trucking companies and driver unions had attempted to stop it through legal means - a move which was finally halted by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C.
Certainly, the new legislation has minor flaws - but overall the Comprehensive Safety Accountability Act goes a long way towards both improving road safety for other drivers and holding truckers and their companies' accountable in lawsuits against trucking companies for negligence that leads to injuries and fatalities.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston tractor trailer accident attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a Houston semi truck accident lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.
