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Professional drivers and trucking companies must comply with special rules and regulations to help make our highways safer. Nighttime collisions often happen because the other driver fails to see the tractor-trailer, particularly on unlit highways.
One of the areas addressed in the rules is federal truck lighting regulations. Below, we outline the basic regulations relating to lighting for large trucks.
Inadequate or improper lighting contributes to many accidents involving large trucks. The federal truck lighting regulations were enacted to require commercial vehicles to be as visible as possible, particularly at night.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under Subpart B, Section 393.11 requires all large trucks to have lighting equipment meeting the minimum safety standards. Specific requirements exist at the Federal and state of Texas for the following:
Trailers are also required to follow lighting rules depending on the size of the trailer. For example, trucks need red rear lights on both sides of the trailer. The regulations also specify appropriate height and other requirements for lighting.
Truck drivers must inspect the lights, turn indicators, and reflectors daily to ensure compliance with the regulations. Motor carriers must ensure that any safety issue reported by the driver is remedied.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident with a large truck and believes that lightning may have been a factor, an early investigation is vital. Documenting statutory violations can be strong evidence of negligence. To be useful in proving a case, the infractions for lighting must have been a cause of the crash.
Hiring an attorney with substantial experience in complex truck litigation is the first step. Your attorney will likely retain expert witnesses to help explain the violations and the application to the crash.
Federal truck lighting regulations are very detailed and specific. The lighting regulations are designed to save lives and prevent accidents. In some accidents, where the lighting regulations were not followed, a thorough investigation of the crash may reveal the violations.
For the safety violations to be effective in a truck accident lawsuit, the lighting infraction must have related directly to the cause of the crash.
We have been winning maximum compensation in truck accident cases for over 40 years and offer a complimentary consultation on injury accidents. You will not find a more experienced truck accident attorney.
We know how to find violations of the truck regulations and how to use the evidence to maximize your compensation.
