Truck drivers in Missouri will want to remember that May 5, 2020, marks the start of the 72-hour inspection spree known as the International Roadcheck. During this time, inspectors with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance will ramp up the enforcement of federal truck safety regulations.
Most drivers who are stopped will undergo the North American Standard Level I inspection: the most comprehensive of the eight levels set up by the Department of Transportation. This 37-point inspection will cover, on the side of the truck, components like the brakes, fuel system, exhaust system, suspension, steering, tires, lights and frames.
Inspectors will also ensure that truckers are wearing their seat belt and carrying all the necessary documents like the right class license and medical cards. They should be in compliance with the regulations on the use of electronic logging devices, too. This emphasis on driver qualifications is unique to the 2020 roadcheck.
Those who pass the tests will have a CVSA decal put on their rig while those who commit a critical violation will be put out of service. The 2019 inspection blitz ended with more than 12,000 trucks and 2,700 drivers being put out of service. Among driver-related violations, 1,179 were connected to hours-of-service regulations and 714 to having the wrong class license.
One of the goals of this annual event is to prevent truck crashes that arise from trucker negligence. Truckers can, for example, fail to maintain their brakes and other components, or they may break HOS rules and wind up falling asleep behind the wheel. Whatever form the negligence takes, it could open the way to a personal injury case. In this state, accident victims may be eligible for damages even if they were partially at fault. They may want a lawyer to assist with their case.
