San Antonio Truck Accident Law Blog

Driverless cars keep coming closer and closer. Sure, many of us have heard of Google's efforts to construct such a computer-operated car. But until recently, the venture seemed pretty speculative - not something that could soon affect drivers in Texas and across the country.

This week, however, there was a reminder of just how far self-driving cars have come.     A key committee in the U.S. Senate held a hearing to discuss the challenges and concerns these cars create. The concerns definitely include highway safety and product liability issues.

This week, a Texas court sentenced a truck driver to ten years of jail time. The sentence resolves a criminal case that has been pending since last fall. According to a plea agreement, however, the trucker will only serve one of those ten years.

The harsh criminal penalties applied in this case because of the egregious disregard for public safety that the trucker apparently demonstrated. Last fall, the driver tried to execute a U-turn on an interstate highway. While trying to turn, the trucker hit a smaller car driving the opposite direction. The impact killed the 56-year-old driver of that vehicle. 

Motorcycle crashes are almost invariably serious. Unlike car or truck drivers, motorcycle riders are not protected by their own vehicles when they crash. As a result, the risks of catastrophic injuries are very real, as are the risks of motorcycle fatalities.

That is why it is so important to raise awareness of motorcyclists among motorists about the causes of accidents, so that all drivers can share the road more safety. As we discussed on May 7 in part one of this post, the TXDOT is coordinating an initiative to do just that. This is happening in conjunction with National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.

Regulation of the trucking industry involves both state and federal authorities. At the federal level, safety agencies have been working to issue and implement a rule on making electronic logs mandatory for commercial trucks. As we discussed earlier this month, many truckers are already starting to transition to e-logs, even though the federal rulemaking process will not formally begin again until September.

But state authorities also play an important role in truck safety. In that regard, the recent action by the Texas Transportation Commission on left-lane restrictions for trucks should be noted.