Truck Safety Coalition

Today, we honor the memory of Christina Martin, a life lost too soon. Every day, preventable truck crashes take lives, but they don’t have to. There are proven solutions to make our roads safer. At the Truck Safety Coalition, we're dedicated to preventing these tragedies. Want to join us in making a difference? Email us at [email protected] and help us save lives on our roads.

On August 8, 2008, Debra Cruz was driving home from work when she noticed a truck driving closely behind her. She moved over to the right lane to allow the truck to pass. The truck then switched lanes and continued to tailgate Debra before finally colliding with the back of her vehicle.

The truck driver was cited for an unsafe lane change. He had a record, and a history of m**h abuse.

The crash left Debra permanently disabled; she has limited mobility and long-term brain damage, which causes her to be sensitive to light. As a result of her injuries, Debra requires nerve stimulators to cope with the lasting pain.

Despite ALL of this, Debra routinely advocates to her local media and elected officials that WE MUST DO BETTER to protect people from senseless and preventable large truck violence.

Teen Trucking is:

A - Unsafe
B - Ignores all research on teen driving efficacy
C - A shameless end-around by corporate trucking to not work harder to retain their existing drivers, consequences be damned
D - All of the above

👇Let us know your answer in the comments 👇

https://newschannel9.com/news/local/tennessee-georgia-see-rise-in-truck-accidents-is-age-a-factor #

Tennessee, Georgia see rise in truck accidents: Is age a factor? Despite a national shortage in drivers,Georgia and Tennessee are seeing an increase in truck accidents.That's according to theExecutive Director of the Truck

Today, we remember Pamela Rundell.

Nobody should have to die a preventable death, but it's happening every day. However, these crashes are not inevitable. Proven solutions exist to make these crashes less likely. Here at the Truck Safety Coalition, we work hard every day to prevent truck crash deaths and injuries from happening in the first place. Interested in getting involved with TSC? Email us at [email protected] to make our roads safer and help save lives.

We are beyond grateful to have Sarah Jo Plücker-Wright part of our family. It is RARE to survive a large truck crash and Sarah Jo remains a force to be reckoned with!!!

📣 Calling all businesses that follow and support TSC, NOW is the time to confirm your sponsorship for our 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala, A Night to Celebrate Truck Safety!!! 📣

https://trucksafety.org/a-night-to-celebrate-truck-safety/

On August 2, 2021, 26-year-old Trevor Doom, along with his fiancé, her mother, her mother’s boyfriend, and his fiancé’s 14-year-old cousin, were exiting the driveway of a business when a semi-truck driver ran a red light and hit them broadside. Five lives were lost in an instant from the impact of the crash. The semi was estimated to be traveling 55 to 60 mph at the time of impact. Trevor and his fiancé were newly engaged and were never able to formally introduce their families.

Trevor was born 3 months prematurely, weighing only 1 lb., 11 oz. He was given a 10-15% chance of surviving. He spent 3 months in Kosair Children’s Hospital before coming home with mild cerebral palsy. His parents were told that he may never walk, talk, see, or hear, but he overcame these odds. He not only became a firefighter, but had been the fire chief of the Wickliffe Rural Fire Department for two years when he passed away.

Gone, but never forgotten Trevor!!!

TSC is proud to be listed as a supporter of the "Stop Corporate Capture Act" introduced by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Senator Cory Booker "The Stop Corporate Capture Act is crucial to ensuring that our government remains accountable to the people, not to corporate special interests. This legislation will codify Chevron into law and will modernize and restore transparency to rulemaking so agencies are able to effectively implement laws, protect public health and safety..."

Read more: https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-leads-senate-response-to-end-of-chevron-doctrine

Congressman Chuy García & Congressman Seth Moulton stand in solidarity with the needs of crash victims and public safety.

Increasing Minimum CMV Liability Insurance and Requiring the Use of Speed Limiters in large trucks will save THOUSANDS of lives.

Thank you for your leadership!!!!

On July 23, 2009, Stone Taylor Weeks (24) and William Holt Weeks (20) were killed after being slammed from behind by a 40‐ton tractor-trailer rig traveling at full speed, which shot their car under the tractor-trailer ahead of them. The drivers responsible were a 21-year-old on his first professional cross‐country trip (who had just obtained a CDL on his third try after two failed attempts) and a 24-year-old owner‐operator whose license was suspended on a DUI conviction.

Nobody should have to die a preventable death, but it’s happening every day. However, these crashes are not inevitable. Proven solutions exist to make these crashes less likely. Here at the Truck Safety Coalition, we work hard every day to prevent truck crash deaths and injuries from happening in the first place. Interested in getting involved with TSC? Email us at [email protected] to make our roads safer and help save lives.

Today, we remember Beatrice S. Brandis and Jill Suzanne Brandis.

Nobody should have to die a preventable death, but it’s happening every day. However, these crashes are not inevitable. Proven solutions exist to make these crashes less likely. Here at the Truck Safety Coalition, we work hard every day to prevent truck crash deaths and injuries from happening in the first place. Interested in getting involved with TSC? Email us at [email protected] to make our roads safer and help save lives.

Today, we remember Shannon Wagner.

Nobody should have to die a preventable death, but it’s happening every day. However, these crashes are not inevitable. Proven solutions exist to make these crashes less likely. Here at the Truck Safety Coalition, we work hard every day to prevent truck crash deaths and injuries from happening in the first place. Interested in getting involved with TSC? Email us at [email protected] to make our roads safer and help save lives.

TSC proudly welcomes McKenna Guajardo to the team as our Grant Program Coordinator!!! 👏👏👏

Learn more about McKenna's remarkable background at https://trucksafety.org/our-team/

TSC reaches out to the families of crash victims and crash survivors from all over the country.

You are not alone, we are here to help ❤️

On July 18, 2018, Christopher Markley was slowed in road construction, when a semi, pulling sand, failed to slow down and hit the line of cars. The driver of the semi admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. Christopher and his passenger were both killed.
Truck drivers are at a higher risk of chronic fatigue due to the nature of their job. Fatigue is a contributing factor in at least 13% of truck crashes. We implore FMCSA to reinstate the safety-oriented hours of service rule established in 2011, and to resist attempts to roll-back well researched and rigorously vetted standards.

Our thoughts are with Christopher's family as they face another year without him.

"Sympathy is quick to be extended yet results remain elusive."

Read the full article on TSC's Letter to Secretary Pete Buttigieg ⬇️

Truck safety advocates say DOT inaction costing lives Truck safety advocates say foot-dragging on rulemakings by Department of Transportation regulators is costing lives.

On July 15, 2021, Karen Goggin and her husband were driving to Decatur, Georgia, from their home in Virginia to help their son move out of his apartment. Shortly after lunchtime, they entered a construction zone on I-85 in South Carolina and were stopped safely behind a line of traffic. A semi-truck failed to stop and hit them from behind. Karen was killed in the crash, along with two others. Her husband was injured but survived.

Today are thinking of Karen and the Goggin family.

TSC victims and survivors sent an open letter to Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressing the depth of their disappointment and frustration at U.S. Department of Transportation's failure to meet its own deadlines to improve truck safety.

Read the full letter ⬇️
https://trucksafety.org/tsc-letter-to-secretary-buttigieg-2/

July 10, 2014, Daniel McGuire was on his way to work, slowed in traffic, when a truck hauling two tons of dirt barreled into him. Daniel was killed. The driver of the truck had been on the job for less than three months and had no behind the wheel training. We are thinking of you today Daniel, and we are so thankful for the incredible advocacy work done by your community.
Read about "Daniel's Law" here: https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/.../daniels-law-four.../

“Half a century of tolerating gruesome death and debilitating injuries from side underride crashes is shameful and no longer tolerable to a majority of ACUP stakeholders.”

Bottom Line: Industry clutches pearls about side guards, crash victims & survivors seek solutions.

OOIDA takes truck side-guard report complaints to Congress Owner-operators and safety advocates clash over a divisive safety report alleging data suppression by federal officials.

literally "automatically" allowed a brazen and demonstrably reckless operator to be reinstated and 8 days later someone is dead and more are injured following a crash that should have NEVER been allowed to happen.

9NEWS Investigates: Trucking company at center of deadly crash in Jefferson County called an 'imminent hazard' Weeks after a semi crash west of Denver killed a man, a new report calls into question how federal regulators kept an eye on the company that operated the semi.

On the evening of July 9, 1997, Virgil Hensley was tragically killed by a tired trucker. The truck driver was within a few miles of his destination when he blew through a stop sign that he did not see and broadsided Virgil’s car, killing him instantly.

“I will never forget that evening,” writes Virgil’s wife, Nikki Hensley Weingartner. "I just knew som**hing terrible had happened. And it had.”

Nikki adds that she “will be forever grateful for the P.A.T.T. Organization and the information they shared with me when I had so many questions. They helped guide me in the right direction and recommended attorneys specializing in truck crashes.”

Today, we are thinking of Nikki and their family.

On July 5, 2010, Paul Miller Jr. was killed by a distracted semi driver crossed the median and hit Paul head on. We are thinking of the Millers. We are immensely grateful to Paul's mother, Eileen, who have worked tirelessly to promote safety on our roads in honor of her son.

On July 5, 2017, Rod Cota and two of his coworkers were killed after their car passed under a semi-truck that was stopped in the lane. If the trailer had been equipped with side underride guards, the outcome that day likely would have been very different.

Nobody should have to die a preventable death, but it’s happening every day. However, these crashes are not inevitable. Proven solutions exist to make these crashes less likely. Here at the Truck Safety Coalition, we work hard every day to prevent truck crash deaths and injuries from happening in the first place. Interested in getting involved with TSC? Email us at [email protected] to make our roads safer and help save lives.

A month after a carrier killed one and injured several others, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration declared the carrier unfit and Out of Service (OOS).

The carrier, Monique Trucking
-Did not test drivers for drugs nor used the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
-Didn't require drivers to have valid CDL's
-Didn't require drivers to complete an application or conduct a background check
-Didn't track Hours of Service (HOS) for their drivers
-Used CMV's that are extremely unsafe (inoperable head lamps, no reflective tape.

The owner's excuse??? "I didn't know."

Yet, when the owner completed their DOT Registration paperwork, they attested that they DID, in fact, know the safety regulations.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not require CMV companies to demonstrate they know the rules, despite Congress twice directing them to do so.

They seem to prefer to put companies OOS AFTER they cause horrific tragedies than put in place commonsense protocols that would NEVER allow such dangerous operators to be on the roads in the first place.

Why is this acceptable? Is anyone paying attention besides TSC???

Chris Vanderveen 9NEWS (KUSA)

We think of Emily's parents, Laura & Rich and hold them close today (and always). 💙💚

Our sweet Emily would have been 31 years old today. Her life was stolen from her by a driver who was not held accountable for killing her. What amazing things would she have been doing? How many more lives would she have touched? We miss her more than words can express. Our hearts are broken forever.
Families For Safe Streets
Vision Zero Network

MUCH can and should be done to prevent underride crashes.

The ACUP Report shows us how.

NHTSA committee blasts DOT in truck underride report Allegations of data suppression by committee members tasked with advising the federal government on truck crashes have gone unacknowledged by U.S. Department of Transportation officials.

U.S. Department of Transportation & NHTSA's Federal Advisory Committee on Underride Protection has published its final report and delivered it to Congress and Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

ACUP Member and TSC Board Member Jennifer Tierney is proud of the report, saying "It was truly a privilege to contribute to the ACUP mission. My only regret is that it has taken my entire adult life for DOT to recognize the severity of the problem, and the available solutions. My heart breaks for the thousands who perished needlessly waiting for som**hing to be done."

Learn more and read the full report: https://trucksafety.org/tsc-statement-on-advisory-committee-on-underride-protection-final-report/

Thank you Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC for being one of our first sponsors for TSC's Night to Celebrate Truck Safety!!! 👏👏👏

Interested in sponsoring? Learn more at: https://trucksafety.org/a-night-to-celebrate-truck-safety/