Truck drivers are often on the road for a long stretch of time. They’re on a schedule to get from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible and then go on to the next job. However, this doesn’t make them exempt from the rules of the road. A speeding truck can cause a significant accident that could result in serious injuries or death. But what are the penalties for speeding truckers? We’ll take a look at what can happen when a truck driver is given a speeding ticket.
No matter where you live, there are bills in place that establish basic traffic laws. Stop signs, yield signs, and lane markers are recognizable throughout the country. All vehicles are required to follow these laws for the benefit of themselves and others.
Separate laws, however, exist for larger trucks and commercial vehicles. There are additional federal and state laws that regulate what trucking companies, truck drivers, hiring managers, trainer, supervisors, managers, and dispatchers can and cannot do. These laws are in place to save lives.
In Illinois in 2015, there were a total of 11,769 crashes involving tractor trailers, accounting for 38 percent of all motor vehicle accidents in the state. Of those accidents, 9,775 resulted in property damage, 2,284 resulted in injury, and 80 resulted in death. A high percentage of those crashes occurred in urban areas. The laws put in place by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Illinois’ Department of Transportation (IDOT) exist to prevent those accidents.