Blog Post

Truck maintenance or the lack of it can be a major causal factor in truck accidents. By the very nature of their function, traversing thousands of miles daily and under all kinds of road and weather conditions, trucks are more prone to wear and tear. A small malfunction is enough to cause a devastating accident. Proper maintenance of a truck is crucial not only to the safety of the truck itself but also the well being of other drivers on the streets.

All this sounds great in theory, but as California Highway Patrol officials found out recently, there are still too many trucking companies that allow their massive vehicles out on the streets in a state of neglect or disrepair. The California Highway Patrol carried out a truck enforcement effort on a stretch of highway from Moorpark's city limits to Somis and found that a majority of trucks were not in compliance. In fact out of the 30 truck inspections that took place, only 6 were found to be in compliance.

As many as 8 trucks were taken out of service for being in an unsafe mechanical condition, and at least one driver was taken off the roads, the Ventura County Star reports.

California Highway Patrol officials admit that if such enforcements were conducted more frequently, truckers would be more likely to comply with regulations. Over the past years both CHP officials and county officials have been making increased enforcement efforts in an attempt to enforce standard regulations. As is evident from the large number of trucks that failed compliance tests in Moorpark, these efforts needs to be conducted more frequently.

Just recently, the Los Angeles Times reported that U-Haul, the country's largest rental truck and trailer company was increasing safety and maintenance checks on its fleet, after the newspaper exposed a system of irregular maintenance procedures on the company's trucks.

A faulty truck on the streets is a danger not just to the driver and passenger but all other vehicles on the highway. When an accident occurs, as has been happening on an increasing basis in some Ventura county areas, there is potential for large scale devastation, personal injuries and death.

If you've been involved in a truck accident, contact the experienced California truck accident attorneys at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.