Connecticut 18-Wheeler Safety Mired in Inter-Department Disputes
18-wheeler safety experts and truck accident lawyers in Connecticut are full of ideas about how to check rogue truck drivers and prevent accidents involving big rigs. Unfortunately, these ideas will remain just that until the two agencies that supply truck weigh station personnel resolve their issues.
In Connecticut, weigh station operation activities are shared by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and state troopers. There exists an old and strong rivalry between the two agencies, and this, experts say, has come in the way of adopting better technology at weigh stations to screen truck drivers more efficiently and accurately.
The Connecticut Department of Scientists and Engineering, a group based in Hartford, conducted a study that recommended technological innovations to streamline weigh station operations, cut down time, and trap more rogue truck drivers. Under the existing system, truck drivers are easily able avoid weigh station inspections. Under the proposed system, however, weigh stations would be located at random points to catch more unsuspecting truck drivers. Technological aids would help troopers conduct an inspection more quickly and would help troopers quickly identify an 18-wheeler in need of a more thorough inspection. The group's report also called for a different approach to 18-wheeler safety – focusing more on ensuring truck safety than inspection duty.
Whether these proposals will be acted upon is a moot point, however. Governor Jodi Rell has proposed pulling state troopers off weigh stations and putting them on highway patrol service. The proposal has been axed for now, but the Governor plans to bring the matter up with Democrats soon. According to state officials, the pull back from weigh stations is part of an overall plan to put more troopers on highway patrol service. The DMV criticizes any such move because it infringes on its jurisdiction. This squabbling could mean that truck accident prevention proposals find themselves on the back burner.
18-wheeler Safety
State agencies responsible for highway maintenance need to focus on keeping unsafe trucks and unfit drivers off the highway. Ensuring the safety of motorists on the road should not become victim to inter-department agency rivalries.
If you've been injured in a Connecticut 18-wheeler accident, contact an 18-wheeler accident attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP to discuss your options for compensation.
