On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Feb 10, 2022 | Motor Vehicle Accidents |
Truck drivers across the country must follow specific protocols and procedures in order to ensure that they transport their loads as safely as possible. To that end, strict regulations exist to help prevent these drivers from hitting the road with a truck that is over or underweight.
But what specific problems can an overweight truck cause? Does it pose an actual danger to the driver or other drivers on the road?
Legal ramifications of overweight trucks
Modern Work Truck Solutions discuss the potential dangers that truck drivers face daily. The actual weight of the vehicle may come as a surprise to some, as it often does not factor into the most obvious components of major crashes.
However, overloaded and overweight trucks can cause many problems for truck drivers, even without looking at accident statistics. Overweight trucks can end up held at weigh stations until they lose the excess weight. On top of that, truck overcrowding is often responsible for damaged goods, which can prevent businesses from re-using certain trucking companies.
Potential safety risks
Overloaded trucks can also increase a driver’s chance of getting into an accident. An overweight truck is harder to control, meaning a driver will struggle more with turns and braking in particular. This could potentially be a huge issue if a trucker needs to avoid a sudden collision or slow-down on the highway ahead of them.
Finally, police can actually arrest truck drivers for driving overweight vehicles. These truckers face time in jail, fines and even the loss of their commercial driver’s license if they get convicted of a violation of truck safety rules. Needless to say, this could negatively impact a driver’s life in the long term and cause major problems in the future.
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