Trucking is an important component of economic activity in Ponca City and its surrounding areas. Without large commercial trucks, businesses would have difficulties receiving and shipping goods and materials that they need for their everyday operations. Likewise, consumer goods would not be as easily accessible, and would likely be a lot more expensive without trucks to transport those goods.
While an efficient and robust trucking industry is necessary, it cannot come at the cost of safety. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from earlier in the year, certain kinds of truck accidents have been on the rise in the past few years. Specifically, the NHTSA explained that deadly accidents related to problems with truck tires have increased.
The NHTSA noted that most tires on big rig trucks are rated at 75 miles per hour, but none are rated for more than 81 mph. This means that most large commercial trucks cannot safely travel at more than 75 mph. However, changes in speed limits around the country have led to truckers driving faster and faster, leading to tire failures and other equipment malfunctions. For this reason, even the American Trucking Association is in favor of capping the speed limit for trucks at 65 mph, just to be on the safe side.
When a person is killed or injured in a truck accident, it makes little difference to them and their loved ones whether the cause was a distracted truck driver or a tire blowout. The end result is the same -- the victims suffer immensely at the hands of someone else's negligence. Like many kinds of accidents, tractor-trailer crashes that are caused by tire failures may be preventable.
Truck companies and their drivers must take adequate precautions to ensure that they are never pushing themselves or their equipment past the safe operational limits. The consequences are far too severe for truckers to take any unnecessary risks when it comes to safety.
Source: CBS News, "Deadly big rig-related accidents on rise," April 1, 2015
