A driver on the road has a right to expect a truck driver to be well-trained and able to operate a tractor trailer safely. Unfortunately, truck accidents are routinely caused by drivers who are not qualified or not capable of operating a truck in a safe way and end up causing serious truck accidents. Truck drivers need to make sure they know how to safely and carefully operate a truck. Trucking companies also need to carefully screen who they hire to make sure they only hire qualified people to operate their fleet. If the trucking company or truck driver fail to live up to these responsibilities, they could be held accountable for their actions if a truck accident occurs.
Unqualified Truck Drivers Can Cause Serious Motor Vehicle Accidents
Commercial Carrier Journal recently reported a large-scale scheme designed to make it possible for unqualified individuals to obtain commercial driver’s licenses. The scheme involved officials operating testing services at five different Department of Motor Vehicle locations in the greater New York City area. While this scheme was far away from Louisville, it is a scheme that could be repeated anywhere. It also affects motorists nationwide because long-haul truckers do not stay in their own state. Instead, long-haul truck drivers take tractor-trailers across the country to deliver goods and services.
The scheme involved DMV officials being paid anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500 to provide an “escort” service, making it possible for people who were not properly qualified to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL). The officials used Bluetooth technology to communicate with applicants and provided pencils encoded with tiny answer keys for CDL tests. There were even external test takers used to ensure applicants were able to pass all portions of CDL testing.
These officials and those seeking licenses without actually preparing for the test put every motorist on the road at risk. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and state officials uncovered the scheme as part of a large-scale investigation involving surveillance cameras and other investigation techniques.
An individual who obtains a CDL under false pretenses put everyone on the road in grave danger. The driver may be unfamiliar with the rules of the road or how to safely operate a truck to avoid a collision. This driver could cause a collision and could be held accountable if the victim was able to prove negligence (even if it never came to light the driver had cheated on the CDL exam). Drivers should never take the chance of becoming involved in any such type of scheme. Instead, they should take the time to learn how to safely drive a commercial truck.
Trucking companies also need to make sure they don’t simply hire truck drivers based on whether or they have a CDL to legally operate a truck. A CDL is a necessary qualification, but there’s not substitute for actual, real-world experience. Common carriers should do their own testing and training to ensure they only hire qualified and competent professionals to safely driver their trucks on the road.
Call the Whaley Law Firm at 502-532-2340 or visit https://louisville-accident-lawyer.com/for help from a Louisville, Kentucky Injury Lawyer.
