When drivers plan for the most dangerous weekends on the road, they probably have in mind major holidays like New Year’s, the Fourth of July, or St. Patrick’s Day. But there’s another weekend that might be just as deadly as any of them in terms of trucking accidents, and few people in the general public ever hear about it.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) International Roadcheck is an annual “targeted enforcement” event where CVSA-certified inspectors conduct a blitz of roadside safety spot-checks — about 17 every minute across North America — for large trucks and buses over a 72-hour period. The event, which started in 1988, is intended “to educate [the] industry and the general public about the importance of safe commercial motor vehicle operations and the North American roadside inspection program,” according to the CVSA.
While this might sound like an admirable effort on the CVSA’s part, the Roadcheck is, in reality, a trucking safety nightmare. The problems with the CVSA Roadcheck are obvious for those who understand the trucking industry:
- An alarming number of drivers fail the inspections each year, even though the dates are announced months in advance. According to the CVSA’s results for Roadcheck 2015, only 78.4% percent of vehicles passed the CVSA standard (Level 1) safety inspection during the previous year’s Roadcheck. This is despite the fact that the CVSA schedules the Roadcheck with ample notice to all drivers and provides a checklist on their website that informs drivers about exactly how they’ll conduct inspections and what they’re going to look for.
Failing an inspection under these conditions should be embarrassing — much like flunking a pop quiz after your teacher gives you advance notice and posts the questions.Although the 22.6% failure rate is an improvement since the first year the CVSA collected data in 1991, when 34.8% of vehicles failed, a failure rate of more than one in five is still unacceptable. More importantly, the fact that so many vehicles can’t pass inspection during a planned event raises the question: How many drivers and vehicles are out of compliance on an average day when they don’t know they’re at a heightened chance of being inspected? - Many drivers who don’t adhere to safety standards simply take advantage of the announcement to take the Roadcheck dates off. CVSA personnel conduct only roadside inspections during the Roadcheck, so avoiding the inspections couldn’t be easier: Drivers who are out of compliance with safety regulations can simply stay off the road or take a temporary “vacation,” thanks to the annual event being so widely publicized.Additionally, when these drivers hit the road again over the weekend, they’re often looking to make up time and money, making them more prone to speeding and driving excessively long hours.
- Many inspectors schedule their vacation for the weekend after the Roadcheck, leading to the most under-staffed weekend of the year for safety inspections. Truck drivers and trucking companies know that the weekend after the CVSA Roadcheck will be the year’s low point for inspections, which means they can operate in violation of safety regulations with impunity.
While taking one in five dangerously under-maintained trucks out of service over the weekend is commendable, the CVSA could accomplish much more if they didn’t provide the inspection dates ahead of time. Unfortunately, the CVSA persists with this practice, making the International Roadcheck more of an annual publicity event — one with some dangerous consequences — than a real public safety effort.
Contact Truck Wreck Justice if You’ve Been Injured in a Trucking Accident
The CVSA International Roadcheck this year takes place from June 7 to June 9. Although it may not be feasible to avoid the road completely during the following weekend, June 11 through 12, drivers should remember the dates and be aware of the risks. Try to exercise caution and adopt defensive driving habits if you’re out on the road during these dates, especially when driving near large trucks or buses.
If the unthinkable happens and you or a loved one has been injured in a crash involving a large truck or bus, Truck Wreck Justice Attorney Morgan Adams can help. With years of experience and a sole focus on large vehicle cases, Morgan Adams has the skills and resources required to tackle the complicated legal issues surrounding a trucking accident and advocate aggressively on your behalf.
Please contact Truck Wreck Justice at (432) 265-2020 or fill out our online contact form if you are seeking legal representation or assistance. We offer free consultations to help you gain a better understanding of your legal options, and we handle cases on a contingent fee basis, which means that you’ll only pay fees or case expenses if and when we achieve a monetary award or settlement on your behalf.
References
Weiland, B. (2016). Find out what Roadcheck 2016 means to you [whitepaper]. J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.jjkeller.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/infoform_10151_-1_10551_35566