Blog

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, marking the start of the riding season for many motorcyclists in Jonesboro and throughout Northeast Arkansas. In recognition of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have a message to send: motorcyclist safety is a shared responsibility...

Injuries from defective products can have lasting consequences Product defects harm many Americans annually, with 6,000 injuries/illnesses and 23 deaths reported in 2021. Manufacturers must prioritize safety in their design and production processes to minimize the risk of consumer injuries. However, when companies fail to provide this legal duty of care, they must be held...

The size and mass of large commercial trucks exert a greater force in a collision compared to smaller vehicles. This increases the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in crash victims. The risk is even greater when truck accidents involve motorcycles or pedestrians, who lack the protection offered by a vehicle frame. When such devastating...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has introduced a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) aimed at revolutionizing the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) program. This move is more than just a procedural tweak; it's a bold step forward in enhancing efficiency and flexibility in the CDL process. These changes in trucking regulations could reduce...

Semi-truck tire blowouts are a major safety hazard on Arkansas's roads and highways. They can happen suddenly, result in serious and fatal truck accidents, and cause widespread damage. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Large Truck Crash Causation Study shows that around 8,000 semi-trucks experience tire blowouts each year across the United States. Most...

Loophole in driving prohibition to be removed. Starting next November, truck drivers with a "prohibited" status in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse will have their commercial driving privileges removed by state licensing agencies. It's an extra measure to prevent impaired driving truck accidents in Arkansas and across the United States....

To help prevent accidents involving commercial trucks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently updated its entry in the U.S. Department of Transportation's September 2023 Significant Rulemaking Report on its top speed plans. It removed a specific top speed from the proposed speed limiter rule for commercial motor vehicles. The original report had indicated...

Knowing the hazards may help Arkansas farmers and workers avoid injury. It's harvest time in Arkansas, one of the year's busiest periods for local farmers. Unfortunately, harvest time increases the risk for farmers due to round-the-clock work with specialized, rarely used equipment, alongside the pressure to secure valuable crops. These factors heighten the potential for...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is considering new regulations that could impact commercial truck drivers, including those operating tractor-trailers. These proposed rules aim to revamp the criteria used by FMCSA to assess a commercial truck driver's fitness for safely operating a commercial truck. Specifically, the proposed federal regulations seek to alter the key...

Trucking companies must uphold safety standards and hire drivers responsibly Negligent hiring practices by trucking companies often contribute to a significant number of commercial tractor-trailer accidents. These companies are responsible for ensuring that they hire truck drivers who not only possess proper licenses but also have a safe driving record devoid of a history of...