Study: Unfit Truckers A Deadly Road Hazard

Despite Years Of Government Warnings, Sick Big Rig Drivers Still Threaten Highway Travelers

(AP)  Hundreds of thousands of tractor-trailer and bus drivers in the United States carry commercial driver's licenses despite also qualifying for full federal disability payments, and some of those drivers have suffered seizures, heart attacks or unconscious spells, according to a new U.S. safety study obtained by The Associated Press.

The problems threatening highway travelers persist despite years of government warnings and hundreds of deaths and injuries blamed on commercial truck and bus drivers who blacked out, collapsed or suffered major health problems behind the wheels of vehicles that can weigh 40 tons or more.

The U.S. agency responsible for cracking down on unfit truckers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, acknowledges it hasn't completed any of eight recommendations that U.S. safety regulators have proposed since 2001. One would set minimum standards for officials who determine whether truckers are medically safe to drive. Another would prevent truckers from "doctor shopping" to find a physician who might overlook a risky health condition. It's unclear whether any of the eight recommendations will be done before President Bush leaves office.

"We have a major public safety problem, and we haven't corrected it," said Gerald Donaldson, senior research director at the Washington-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, whose members include consumer, health and safety groups and insurance companies. "You have an agency that is favorably disposed to maintaining the integrity of the industry's economic situation."

Truckers violating federal medical rules have been caught in every state, according to a review by the AP of 7.3 million commercial driver violations compiled by the Transportation Department in 2006, the latest data available. Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, New Jersey, Minnesota and Ohio were states where drivers were sanctioned most frequently for breaking medical rules, such as failing to carry a valid medical certificate. Those 12 states accounted for half of all such violations in the United States.

Consider these cases:

• A Florida bus driver who suffers from lung disease and uses three daily inhalers to control breathing told congressional investigators that he "occasionally blacks out and forgets things." He works as a substitute driver despite not having a medical certificate, and his commercial license expires in 2010. The driver, who was not identified but will figure prominently in a congressional hearing this week, has collected Social Security benefits since 1994. He confided to investigators that he "gets winded" walking to his mailbox but has no problem driving a passenger bus.
  
  
• A Virginia trucker with a prosthetic leg from a farm accident more than 10 years ago is permitted to drive tanker trucks until at least 2012, even though he doesn't have the proper federal paperwork required for amputees. Virginia revoked the medical license for the official who approved him to drive over charges the official was caught illegally distributing controlled substances.
  
  
• George Albright Jr., 61, smashed his 70,000-pound tractor-trailer into congested traffic on Interstate 70 in June 2006, killing four women in a Ford sedan about 30 miles east of Columbia, Mo. Albright's employer agreed earlier this year to pay $18 million in a settlement. A Missouri jury acquitted Albright this month on four counts of second-degree involuntary manslaughter, after his lawyers argued in court that a diabetic episode "put him in an altered state of consciousness." Albright wasn't injured.
  
  
• A gasoline tanker plunged from an overpass and exploded in flames on Interstate 95 near Baltimore in January 2004, killing four people. Witnesses reported the driver slumped over the wheel. Maryland investigators concluded the driver, Jackie M. Frost, had suffered a heart attack or other medical emergency, but his family disputed that.
  
  
• The driver of a 15-passenger "Tippy Toes" day-care bus traveling 63 mph on Interstate 240 in Memphis, Tenn., in April 2002 crashed into a bridge, killing the driver and four of the six children aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board said the driver, Wesley B. Hudson, 27, fell asleep, "quite likely due to an undiagnosed sleep disorder." Investigators said children sometimes had to wake up Hudson, whom the NTSB described as obese and a marijuana user.
  
  
• A 55-passenger bus rolled off Interstate 610 in New Orleans in May 1999, killing 22 passengers. The NTSB said the bus driver, Frank Bedell, 46, suffered life-threatening kidney and heart conditions, but held a valid license and medical certificate. Moments before the crash, a passenger recounted seeing the driver slumped in his seat. Bedell died three months later of an apparent heart-related illness. Investigators said he was treated at least 20 times in the 21 months before the accident for various ailments.

Some truckers said the government should enforce existing rules, not make new ones.

"Do you enjoy your clothing and house? Without the truck driver you would have none of it," said Gary Hull, 52, a trucker for a Louisiana company, as he drove from Edinburg, Texas, to Mansfield, La. "Our economy is based on the truck. People don't understand the ramifications of making it more restrictive for truck drivers to drive."

Hull said most drivers are hard workers who earn a modest salary and cope with rising diesel prices. New regulations could add to costs and force truckers to evade the rules, he said.

The Transportation Department said 5,300 people died in crashes involving large commercial trucks or buses in 2006, the latest year for which figures are available, and about 126,000 more were injured. A federal safety study last summer found that cases where drivers fell asleep, suffered heart attacks or seizures or otherwise were physically impaired were a leading cause of serious crashes involving large trucks. But those cases included healthy drivers who fell asleep.

"The problem is major. It's one of the biggest causes of occupational death in the United States today," said Dr. Kurt Hegmann, chairman of the FMCSA's medical oversight board, which is urging more doctor visits in many cases for truckers with serious medical conditions.

While it may be years before any of the board's proposals take effect, there is nothing preventing doctors from stepping up scrutiny of drivers' medical conditions right away, Hegmann said.

Congress may take action soon. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, led by Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., will conduct oversight hearings Thursday. One proposal would create a clearinghouse for drug test results for commercial truck drivers to make it easier for employers to conduct checks. Oberstar's committee asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate unfit truck drivers.

The 30-page GAO study, obtained by the AP in advance of its release later this week, said 563,000 commercial drivers were determined by the Veterans Affairs Department, Labor Department or Social Security Administration to also be eligible for full disability benefits over health issues. It said disability doesn't necessarily mean a driver is unfit to operate a commercial vehicle, but its investigators found alarming examples that raised doubts about the safety of the nation's highways. They identified more than 1,000 drivers with vision, hearing or seizure disorders, which generally would prohibit a trucker from obtaining a valid commercial license.

The chief safety officer for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Rose McMurray, acknowledged problems that could lead to unfit truck drivers on the roads. She blamed delays in reforms on a lack of federal money and difficulty coordinating with 50 states. McMurray said changes to strengthen the medical oversight program may not be done for months or even years.

"We have done a lot to recognize the deficiencies in our medical oversight program, and the building blocks we're establishing are very smart and very strong," McMurray said.

Families of crash victims said stronger safety rules can't happen soon enough.

William Hieronymus II of Salina, Kan., said he remembers eating cereal each morning with his 10-month-old son. His son William and wife, Amanda, died in May 2005 when a truck crossed a median and struck their SUV.

The driver, Scott A. Wegrzyn, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide. Prosecutors said Wegrzyn knew he suffered from sleep apnea and went to a second doctor without disclosing the condition to obtain the medical certification he needed to drive.

"I try to go through a day without crying," Hieronymus said during Wegrzyn's trial. "I wonder every day what (Will) would have grown up to be, what he would have stood for."

[roach9703]

How about random physicals for truck drivers?
Much of this could be done at a weigh station.

[jlwesley]

After spending most of my life in the trucking business, I feel compelled to add my 2 cents worth. For the most part, truckers are a hard working, conscientious, dedicated group, but like any other group of people there are bad apples, dont judge the whole group by these bad apples. Don''t force more regulations on the industry that will hurt the good guys and still not do anything about the bad, enforce the laws on the books and come down hard on the people that employ these bad apples.

Further, there is no way that the rail system can replace or even effectively supplant the truck, they are too slow, require too much additional handling and are seriously effected by theft and damage.

Be thankful for the good truckers on the road, turn in the rest whenever you see them and remember no matter how good or bad a driver might be, 80,000lbs of metal and rubber respond a lot differantly than your 3,000lb auto, give them some room and cut them some slack.

[emddd40x-2009]

emokev:
you can encourage companies to ship by rail, but as long as truck carriers are cheaper, they will use the truck carrier--not to mention the fact that several times my spouse has delivered only a half of a load (only half the trailer is full)on a 500 mile plus run because the company ordering the goods only wanted half a full shipment--i don''''t think trains would want to bother with that.
-----
If it''s TOFC or COFC Less Than a Car Load service, they don''t mind. Just get it to the intermodal loading facility.

Where things need to be improved is in the sales department for the shippers. I wouldn''t be suprised if the shipping departments didn''t know that there were options other than long haul trucking & FedEx/UPS.

[ihave4rugratshelp]

even if these drivers that the article talks about do qualify for full disability, the government puts so many roadblocks up to make it nearly impossible to get disability, and even if one is qualified for disability by the government, the government uses a very large catch-22 with their disability--you will be paid barely enough to survive--it used to be that one was given disability if they were unable to perform their chosen job due to dibiliating illness or permanent injury--however, one could still earn a little extra money by performing another job on a part-time only basis--from what i understand that has now changed--i don''t think unfit drivers should be driving, but i can somewhat understand why they do--it''s either drive and have a chance to make a decent wage or take disability and have one foot in the welfare system--what a choice the powers at be give us.

[ihave4rugratshelp]

you can encourage companies to ship by rail, but as long as truck carriers are cheaper, they will use the truck carrier--not to mention the fact that several times my spouse has delivered only a half of a load (only half the trailer is full)on a 500 mile plus run because the company ordering the goods only wanted half a full shipment--i don''t think trains would want to bother with that.

[cgesior]

Part of the reason these men and women are driving buses and trucks is because they can''t get disability or any other jobs. If this Government would get employees who listen to doctors and realize that these people "REALLY" do need help, they would not be looking for these types of jobs. I am speaking from experience. My brother-in-law has been addicted to pain medications due to back surgery and although he has gone through rehab, he cannot get a job other than driving a truck. He is mentally incapacitated and his doctor has gone to the Disability office to verify and they say he is not eligible. Perhaps the Government is at fault. They won''t listen to this anyway though. So, be careful out there you drivers.

[emddd40x-2009]

4)Traffic by Rail. Back in the days before the Eisenhower Interstate System, railroads did all the long distance hauling and trucks did the %u201Clast mile%u201D delivery work. This was reasonably efficient%u2026considering that the railroads ran on steam. Today, we have a congested Interstate system in need of repair and overhaul. We also have a rail network that%u2019s loaded to at least 80% of capacity. So, what%u2019s the solution? Railroads are doing their best to improve their infrastructure%u2019s capacity. Between adding lines (double & triple tracking) and technology improvements (electronic brakes & PTC) capacity is being improved. I believe that as capacity improves, we should encourage companies to ship by rail for the long haul. I agree that Last Mile service is, and always will be, the realm of the truck driver.

[emddd40x-2009]

After reading all the comments, I would like to make a couple myself.
1) Having grown up in Southern California, some of the driving habits that irritate me are the people tailgating, cutting others off, and trying to be 2 seconds faster than others. I drive a Ram 1500, and if people get too close behind me in the small cars, I CAN''T SEE THEM.
2) I moved from California to Michigan last December. I followed what I knew of the truckers rules (speed limit ~60mph, max 8 hour days) during the drive. Yes, it took me longer to get here on the route I drove, but I was able to enjoy it and drive it safely. It really scares me the friends I hear marathoning those sorts of road trips in "2 and a half days".
3) The concept of %u201CRush Hour%u201D has always annoyed me. Especially once I started driving in it. (btw, I%u2019m 30) Every traffic slow down that I have seen has been because one person has cut another person off, causing that second person to slow down, causing a chain reaction of slowdowns. Then, if you get the person who was following a bit too close during a slow down, you get the accident that grinds everything to a halt. If people just had some courtesy and followed the safe driving rules we were taught in driver%u2019s ed, then we wouldn%u2019t have Rush Hours.
(continued...)

[ihave4rugratshelp]

let''s see, if trains are used for long haul, then if one is lucky, you could have two hundred trailers on a hundred car train--of course you could put the freight in box cars, but the railroad would have to employ someone to load and unload the box car to and from the trailer, that would cost more, and most truck carriers charge more on what is known as a short haul trip, which is a trip of less than 250 miles, (the amount of miles depends on the carrier), another added expense, the bottom line is that the shippers and receivers that use truck carriers now use them because it is the most economical for them--they are in business to make a profit--they are going to ship their product the cheapest way possible

[tootall10142]

PARDO ME ,THANKS TAX PAYERS FPR THE NEW CAR.IT IS AMERICAN MADE IF THAT HELPS CURB YOUR ANGER ANY?

[tootall10142]

SOURCE:THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON HEALTH, 16000 PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES DIE EVERY YEAR WAITING ON SOCIAL SECURITY TO DO THE PAPER WORK.4 OF EVERY TEN ARE TURNED DOWN JUST TO CREATE A TIME ELEMENT FOR THE SSA.COMPARE THIS TO THE LOSS OF LIVES IN THE WAR IN THESE PAST FIVE YEARS.IWAS OVER PAID 6500 DOLLARS ON MY INTIAL PATMENT FROM SSA.I OFFERED TO PAY IT BACK AT A MONTHLY RATE OF 100 DOLLARS DUE THE AMOUNT I RECIEVE.I WAS TURNED DOWN AND THE MONEY WAS WRITTEN OFF.THE REASON IS THAT THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE ME TO PAY IT BACK WOULD HAVE ME KEPT UNDER THE NATIONAL POVERTY LEVEL AND WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED ME FOR SATTELITE BENEFITS THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL.ONLT IN AMERICA.

[displeased]

Well said pdhlondon. Although trucks cause some issues on the highway, most of the problems I encounter are caused by cars/suvs. There are many drivers out there who aren''t courteous, logical, and lack common sense in regards to safety. Too bad we can''t stick them on trains...

[payasyougo]

This story but one example of a "well" regulated industry.

When our government gets enough outrage on this topic they will put focus on it and will eventually make it safer with new regulations and more enforcement.

Meanwhile, something else will slide during the distraction...

[pdhlondon]

I''m sure that most of us have stories about negative interactions with truckers. We no doubt have as many stories about bad car, motorcycle and bicycle operators. I suspect however, that for every bad or unfit truck driver, there are 100''s of perfectly safe and courteous ones on the road.

This isn''t about getting rid of trucks and truckers. It''s about safety. No operator of any type of vehicle should have a license if they cannot rely on their physical or mental capacities. So yes, let''s crack down and get the unfit drivers off the road. All of them, in every type of vehicle.

Driving is not a right - - it is an earned and temporary privilege.

[displeased]

One question -- how are you going to get things from the farm, factory, etc. to the train and then from the train to the farm, factory, store, mall, etc. without trucks?
Posted by dutchlady104

Use trains for the long haul, trucks for the short haul.

[joe1022joe]

If you think things are bad now, just wait until large numbers of NAFTA Mexican truck drivers start operating all over the USA.

[carlylaine]

SLEEP APNEA is ceasation of breath while sleeping...so what''s the problem with waking up while sleeping "Wegrzyn knew he suffered from sleep apnea" well then all should be happy because he does wake up...

[whiskyrocker]

****ers cause more fatalities on the road than anybody. They cut people of,stay in the passing lane for as long as they want. There coksu*kers.

[greybeardvet]

I''m sympathetic to anyone with a disability and would fight for their rights to equal treatment in all spheres, but that does not mean allowing people to drive who are a threat to the public. This looks like another "engineered" failure of a federal responsibility. Can''t you hear Grover Norquist and his "starve the beast" pals laughing about this?

[daysrnumbrd]

if you just remember that it''''s a "cereal bowl" out there, it can actually be entertaining, if you have the right (weird) sense of humor.

Posted by nojoy01 at 12:35 AM : Jul 22, 2008
...........

Yep, I know where you''re going with that one...

...fruits, nuts, and flakes!

:-)