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Rising Drug Abuse Poses Significant Threats to Road Safety

June 20, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As we are all well aware, the United States is facing an ongoing opioid crisis it has long been struggling to control. With a total of 11.4 million people misusing prescription opioids in 2017, it is easy to see the ramifications of the opioid epidemic have found their way into the lives of commercial truck drivers throughout the United States. As of January 1^st, 2018, any individual taking a Department of Transportation federally mandated drug test, as those with a commercial driver’s license must do, would be subject to testing not only for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamines, but for semi-synthetic opioids like OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, and Vicodin. This expansion upon the previous drug testing regulations embodies how the trucking industry has had to deal with the issue of drugs among its drivers. While opioids statistically are not the most prevalent drugs being used by drivers within the trucking industry, the new drug testing regulations confirm what many within the industry have known for years; the drug crisis America faces has hit one of its largest industries the hardest.

On June 12, 2019, the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, what many in the industry know as the “Trucking Alliance,” submitted a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sub-Committee on Highways and Transit regarding the state of drug use within America’s trucking industry. As part of its statement to Congress, the Trucking Alliance provided data which had been given to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and found compelling evidence of severe drug use among commercial drivers. The data showed results of “151,662 truck driver applicants, who were asked to submit to two drug tests – a urinalysis and a hair analysis. Almost all applicants held an active commercial driver’s license.” In addition, 94% of the applicants tested drug-free; however, there were thousands of applicants who failed either one or both of the tests given. Making the issue far worse, the urinalysis test, which happens to be the only method used by USDOT, actually did not identify a majority of users, missing 9 out of 10 actual illicit drug users. On the other hand, the Trucking Alliance has proposed that USDOT begin mandating a hair analysis to be conducted in addition to the current urinalysis routine. In total, the Trucking Alliance has now stated that based on the estimated 3.5 million commercial drivers within the United States, the data compiled would result in roughly 301,000 commercial drivers failing or refusing a hair analysis. Even though this number appears shocking, it only begins to convey the hazard that such drivers pose to road safety.

Drug Use Among Drivers is Leading to Dangerous Roads

Part of the Trucking Alliance’s plea to Congress on June 12^th was to make certain that motorists are not placed in more danger due to a commercial driver’s potential drug abuse problem. As evidenced by the survey conducted, public safety is at risk if trucking companies fail to acknowledge and appropriately test for drugs that have been proven to be rampant within the industry itself. In fact, a Quest Diagnostics analysis conducted between 2015 and 2017, found that commercial drivers who went through post-accident testing saw an increase in positive drug-testing rates rising 51%, from 3.1% in 2017 all the way to 4.7% in 2018.

Of course, the trucking industry is not the only one afflicted by the ongoing drug crisis in the United States; however, as in other industries of high stress and long hours, drug abuse seems all the more likely. With that being said, it is absolutely essential that employers take this data seriously and consider adopting new, more accurate drug tests, in addition to the mandated urinalysis test that has been proven to fail. For the health of the commercial drivers spending hours on the road alone and for the overall well being of the general public, employers must do all they can to keep unsafe drivers off the road.

The Effects of Driving Impaired

While the opioid epidemic is a crisis that must be addressed, many companies are actually finding that the legalization of marijuana through various states in the US is also contributing to driver impairment. Trucking Info’s recent Safety and Compliance report cited an interview with the American Trucking Association’s Abigail Potter, Manager of Safety & Occupational Health Policy. Abigail recently mentioned that even if a driver is operating a vehicle under 26,000 pounds, “you still have to be medically qualified to operate, and one of the requirements is to not use a controlled substance, which include marijuana.” Further, being impaired by marijuana causes “drivers to exhibit poor judgment, decreased motor coordination, and decreased reaction time,” leading drivers to be all the more likely to get into an accident and place others at risk. If these are the effects that marijuana has on drivers, now imagine the impairment that such drivers experience from opioids, which have proven to be prevalent in the trucking industry as the US experiences this ongoing crisis.

What Can Be Done

As it appears the best way to directly attack the ongoing issues within the trucking industry is based solely on understanding who is actually being affected by drug abuse, creating an appropriate guideline for company testing is the most appropriate way to start. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a checklist to help employers with drug testing. The checklist includes the following:

Identify any federal or state laws with which you must comply
Consult union officials, if applicable
Identify and contact a laboratory certified by the Department of Health and Human Services
Create a system that maintains and protects the confidentiality of employee drug testing records
Designate an employee who will receive test results from the lab and keep results confidential
Develop a clear, consistent and fair policy before reviewing it with legal counsel
Notify employees 30 to 60 days before implementing the testing program
Contract with a medical review officer; and
Inform employees that organization leadership will comply with the policy

The most important thing to keep in mind for trucking companies overseeing this process is to know that there is data suggesting that opting for an additional hair analysis drug test will likely result in far more accurate readings. While the country is as reliant as ever on trucking to transport goods from place to place, that does not mean we should sacrifice driver and road safety to keep more commercial drivers in the industry without getting help. We need to be smart and make certain that everyone on the road remains safe.

Various Ways Ride-Sharing Has Raised Safety Concerns

June 18, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

There was a time when hopping into the backseat of a stranger’s car as a mode of transportation would have been considered ludicrous. Today, however, ride-sharing is actually one of the fastest-growing and most popular options, especially in large cities such as Chicago.

Safety Precautions Related To Ride-Sharing Drivers

With ride-sharing’s increased usage, however, also comes rising concerns about just how safe it really is to get into a stranger’s car and trust you’ll be taken to your requested destination. Two of the most popular apps for ride-sharing, Uber and Lyft, have been trying their best to highlight safety awareness for all riders, but after a recent tragedy, when a University of South Carolina student was killed after she accidentally got into the wrong vehicle she thought was her Uber, efforts have been intensified in hopes of avoiding more of these horrific incidents from happening.

Law enforcement agencies and ride-sharing companies urge riders to take extra precaution before getting into their requested vehicles, especially if any drinking has been involved, as many of those pretending to be the ride-sharing drivers often target bars since those riders are more likely to not pay attention. Numerous accusations of assault and abuse have been brought against ride-sharing drivers. Although there is currently no determinative data as to the exact number of reports that have been filed against drivers, rider safety has become one of the main priorities for ride-sharing companies as they continue to work on addressing and improving safety concerns.

As part of this initiative, Uber is getting ready to launch a new feature on its app that will send push notifications to riders to remind them to check both the vehicle and the driver before getting in. In the notification, Uber plans to include the driver’s name, a photo of the driver, the vehicle’s make and model, and the license plate number. Uber will also partner with universities to start a nationwide awareness campaign called “Check Your Ride”.

Lyft currently provides photos of the driver and a description of the vehicle to its riders. Some Lyfts even have displays on the driver’s dashboard that will change color to match the riders’ app, making it significantly easier for riders to identify their correct ride. Lyft released a statement saying, “We are always exploring new, innovative ways to improve the experience for all users, and most importantly, to keep our community safe.”

Awareness of Vehicle Recall Issues

Although Uber and Lyft have made statements about prioritizing rider safety, there will always be a risk for passengers, especially in environments where riders are not fully aware of their surroundings. Hopefully, as ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft continue strengthening their safety precautions, riders will be able to use ride-share more comfortably where their safety is involved.

Getting into the car of a stranger and putting your safety into his or her hands is not the only thing riders must be concerned about. In a recent report from Consumer Reports, a review of 94,000 vehicles in New York City and Seattle. The two cities are heavily reliant on ride-sharing and have governments that require drivers to register their vehicles and obtain additional licenses to be allowed to work through regulators. In this study, it was discovered that about 1 in 6 vehicles had one or more open safety recalls. Some of these vehicles had serious issues, such as the Takata airbags that were discovered to be capable of hurting or killing the driver or front-seat passenger, and posed serious risks for riders and drivers alike.

Despite Uber and Lyft constantly trying to change and influence daily transportation for people, the discovery that fairly minor steps have been taken to guarantee that their drivers address any recall issues they are having is concerning. Currently, Uber and Lyft generally allow vehicles that are legally registered and no more than 10 to 15 years old to be driven for ride-sharing, with adjustments made depending on the city. Although local requirements might mean more carefully monitored vehicle inspections, neither Uber nor Lyft have a clear policy for open recalls.

These concerns about the safety of the actual vehicles being used for ride-sharing leads to a question of what to do in a situation where something happens to the vehicle. How can ride-sharing companies improve the foreseeability of terrible accidents occurring due to vehicle malfunction?

Although there is currently no definitive plan from either Uber or Lyft for how they will improve the monitoring of these recall issues, there is hope that more significant steps will be taken for so many unanswered recall problems. In response to the report, Uber and Lyft representatives sent written statements to Consumer Report stating that there were a number of initiatives being put in place to work with drivers on improving how they address recalls. Uber specifically stated “it recognizes the role it can play in helping keep the roads safe for everyone.”

As the safety of both passengers and drivers is incredibly important, we hope that ride-sharing companies, especially the more popular ones such as Uber and Lyft, continue to pursue a more definitive plan to address recall issues and help us maintain safer roads.

Should Chicago Treat Scooter Sharing Like Bike Sharing?

June 14, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Scooters are coming to Chicago this summer.

Beginning on Saturday, June 15, 2019, the day before Father’s Day, a bunch of electric scooters will start popping up in parts of Chicago’s West, Northwest, and Southwest Sides. The city will be experimenting with a four-month long pilot program to test whether or not scooters will improve access to transportation in Chicago.

Other major cities, including Detroit, Indianapolis, D.C., and San Francisco have already introduced scooter sharing to their streets with mixed reviews. Last year, a couple of scooter companies pulled their fleet from Indianapolis after the city sent them cease-and-desist letters. City officials wanted them off the road until they passed regulations which would grant licenses to companies allowing them to operate within city limits.

The Detroit Free Press reported last year that less than three months after Detroit introduced its first deployment of Bird scooters, countless near-miss accidents had already occurred, with several accidents actually taking place. All of this was prior to two additional scooter companies, Lime and Spin, entering the fold. By late August of last year, Detroit had roughly 500-600 active scooters on the streets. While that number may not seem daunting or pose a significant threat to road safety, it’s important to acknowledge that these scooters are in addition to the thousands of pedestrians, bikes, and cars already making up a significant portion of city streets. While it has been some time since Detroit experienced how difficult it is to maintain these scooters, Chicago is going to quickly learn if they can handle the new additions.

Chicago Must Be Prepared

According to a Chicago Tribune Article penned by transportation reporter, Mary Wisniewski, Chicago wants to avoid people riding drunk or throwing scooters into the river, as they have in other cities. And they absolutely should. Unlike Detroit’s smaller integration of scooters into the city’s transportation options, Chicago’s addition of 2,500 electric scooters into the city is significant. It’s not out of question that incidents will occur. With a population of 3 million people and a city that already boasts a significant amount of bike lanes for a city of its size, the scooters are going to take time for all pedestrians and drivers to get used to.

As everyone in the city will experience growing pains due to the new mode of transportation, there is another critical aspect that should not be overlooked. Who’s responsible? As the CBS Chicago reported, “the terms of service for the scooter companies that are coming to Chicago specifically say that they bear no responsibility for injuries.” From a liability standpoint, any individual injured or involved in any sort of accident with these scooters, will be unable to effectively hold the scooter companies liable, causing those inflicted to be entirely responsible if the scooter user fails to have insurance. With the city and users already aware of the lack of responsibility scooter companies are taking for potential accidents, what more can be done to ensure safety among drivers and pedestrians? The answer may be to look at how individuals have handled bike sharing.

Taking Precaution

As bicyclists in the city already know, biking in such a populated area can be very dangerous. With that being said, as the CBS report acknowledges, the Divvy bikes seen all throughout Chicago have a no-liability clause as well, essentially rendering them the same as the scooters. The biggest difference, which the report cites, is that most individuals know how to ride a bicycle. The same can not be said for scooters. Making matters worse is the fact that the scooters will have a maximum speed of 15mph and be limited to the bicycle lane. This not only makes it critical that bicyclists riding in the bike lane are aware of any quickly approaching scooters, but that scooter users ensure they do not weave between bicycle traffic. Now, imagine being a driver in the city. As we all know, it is illegal to drive in the bicycle lane; however, there are countless areas in the city where right turn lanes require an individual to legally cross through these lanes. With the introduction of the scooters, drivers must be aware of scooters approaching in their blind spots as they turn. Again, the city has had to deal with this for many years, especially since the introduction of Divvy bikes. While it would be great if these scooters could be treated similarly, we must use more caution on the roads and understand that potential problems lie ahead. Keep an eye out this weekend and be aware of your surroundings.

Trucking Companies in Illinois are Celebrating the State’s Gasoline Tax Increase

June 14, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As reported last week, the Illinois General Assembly recently passed a capital bill that raised the Illinois fuel tax from 19 cents per gallon to 38 cents. Additionally, trucking companies were expected to be hit the hardest with the tax on diesel fuel increasing to 52 cents per gallon. Although the trucking industry was expected to see this as a hurdle to overcome, it appears that many in the industry are actually willing to pay the additional tax as it will hopefully result in a long-term increase in road safety; ensuring quicker deliveries for truck drivers.

Illinois has long had trouble maintaining its infrastructure due to a lack of available funding that could span multiple years-worth of projects; however, a recent report released by TRIP, a nonprofit research group that analyzes economic and technical data regarding transportation issues throughout the United States, has shed more light on why those in the trucking industry are actually willing to pay more for their fuel. For starters, TRIP’s report has found that due to the state’s crumbling roads and congested traffic, Illinois drivers are losing $18.3 billion in total, amounting to roughly $2,559 per driver. This number considers the “vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion – related delays, and the costs of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor.” As expected, the largest portion of the costs came from traffic congestion, resulting in a total of $8.5 billion, and had Chicago residents paying the highest amount with $1.5 billion in congestion costs. While the report proves what many Illinois residents have known for a long time, it does provide more insight into how rebuilding the state’s infrastructure will not only help with congestion on the roads, but it will also help limit crashes resulting from poor road safety.

Based on TRIP’s findings, 5,100 people were killed between 2013 and 2017 in Illinois crashes, resulting in a traffic fatality rate of 1.02 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel (vmt), falling below the national average of 1.16; however, this number drastically increases to 2.09 when accounting for rural non-interstate highways. Taking a quick look at these numbers and makes it clear that the State faces a critical issue that must be addressed before these statistics balloon and pose more of a threat to drivers on the road. This isn’t to say that all those in the industry are proponents of the new plan, but it has been made clear that if the roads are safer and less congested, truck drivers are then able to transport freight at a much quicker pace, ultimately saving on the overhead costs of fuel. Further alleviating the tax increase, is the new plan’s decision to get rid of the commercial distribution fee, which brought the state $56 million in 2018, yet did not pay for rebuilding the state’s poor infrastructure. All of these changes point to what many see as an expensive, yet necessary plan to ensure road safety.

Rural Roadways Face Greater Challenges

The ability to move freight to and from rural communities will also be a great benefit for truck drivers in the state. Based on TRIP’s findings from a similar study released in May of 2019, which reviewed transportation throughout “America’s Heartland,” rural communities throughout the United States have faced a much larger fatality rate due to the quality of roads. As mentioned, Illinois’ overall traffic fatality of rural non-Interstate routes was 2.09 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Several factors were acknowledged by TRIP as being responsible for the sharp increase, such as two-lane route roads, narrow lanes, and overall inconsistent design features.

Drivers in Illinois should expect to see infrastructure projects within the next few years that address driver safety in areas such as these which are in critical condition. For example, 2017 marked the introduction of “smart roads,” via the Jane Adams Tollway, which had the sole purpose of increasing driver safety through implementing electronic signs every half mile to properly inform drivers of upcoming accidents and other road safety messages. With the state on the brink of receiving such a large influx of funding towards these projects, it is no wonder that the trucking industry is excited about the changes to come. Safer roads lead to less crashes and traffic congestion, allowing for quicker deliveries, and what should result in a decrease in the number of fatalities the State experiences. We can hope that Illinois follows through with this plan and makes the roads a much safer place for all drivers.

Tougher Penalties for Texting While Driving in Illinois to be Implemented Soon

June 12, 2019 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Illinois has decided to crack down more severely on any drivers texting behind the wheel.

Starting July 1, 2019, any driver who is caught texting while driving will be given a moving violation that goes on his or her driving record. Illinois drivers who are issued three moving violations within a 12-month period, risk their license being suspended. The current law, which took effect in 2014, states that any first offense for texting while behind the wheel is treated as a non-moving violation and does not affect the driver’s driving record. However, a fine will still be applied on the first offense. Although this fine was meant to deter drivers from using their phones to text while driving, the results were not quite as successful as had been hoped for. This new law will be put in effect in hopes of improving safety on the roads, especially where texting and driving are involved. According to U.S. News Report that the new law was being implemented because distracted driving had become an even more serious problem, as stated by Secretary of State Jesse White back in August 2018. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is estimated that at least 25 percent of crashes reported to the police had involved distracted driving.

New Law Hopes to Encourage More Caution and Awareness

In 2019, over a dozen new transportation-related laws will go into effect in Illinois including these harsher penalties for any distracted drivers. Again, the higher penalties for texting while driving are an attempt by Illinois to increase road safety for everyone. Instead of allowing drivers to avoid more severe consequences for a first-time violation, this new law will hopefully encourage drivers to be even more careful when thinking about whether or not they should be texting while driving. The new penalties should remind drivers that there are significant consequences for an action that might seem, in their minds, to be fairly quick, simple, and not too dangerous. As compared to today’s current laws, which treats the first offense as a non-moving violation and subsequent violations as moving violations, the consequence of a first-time offense being treated as a moving violation and the possibility of the suspension of his or her license after three moving violations within 12 months for anyone who is willing to text while driving after July 1, 2019 is noticeably more severe.

According to Trial Magazine, 2018 saw the most pedestrian deaths, at a total of 6,227, in the U.S. This is based off of a study by the Governors Highway Safety Association. This number shows a 35% increase in pedestrian deaths as compared to previous decades. This statistic states that five states, (Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas) had accounted for at least 46% of these pedestrian deaths. Despite Illinois not being included in the list of those five states, pedestrian safety is still a great concern here. For Illinois to move forward in preventative measures for texting while driving is an important step in improving road safety. There are plenty of other states with significantly more aggressive consequences but with this new law, Illinois is hoping to curb the growing rate of distracted driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that it was six times more dangerous to drive a vehicle while texting as compared to driving while intoxicated. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, a total of 1,090 people died on Illinois roads in 2017. Overall, the implementation of this new law will hopefully improve safety precautions taken by drivers in Illinois when it comes to texting and driving and will encourage drivers to think twice before texting while on the road.

Safety Tips for Chicago Bicyclists

June 7, 2019 by Danylo Terleckyj Leave a Comment

Chicago’s mostly cold. Cold weather makes for hardy people who drink black coffee, eat pizza that’s really a casserole, and put hot peppers on everything. People from Illinois also know how to navigate in the snow without a dogsled. And, they don’t lose their cool when the roads are slippery, even when riding a bicycle.

Chicago is a city that has a lot of people riding around on bicycles in all types of weather conditions, even those few weeks and months when the sun comes out of hiding. Bicycling is so popular here that Divvy, Chicago’s bicycle share program, is set to expand its coverage over the entire City by 2021. Currently, there is no service on the West Side, the Far South Side, or the Far Northwest Side.

With even more people riding around on bikes than ever before, making sure everybody gets to their destination safely is, or at least should be everybody’s number one priority when it comes to transportation.

There is no such thing as an accident

The word accident implies that the unfortunate or terrible thing that happened was unavoidable. A car crash is almost never an accident because a car crash is often times avoidable. Crashes occur when someone makes a poor choice. People drive drunk. They look at their phones while driving. They get behind the wheel when they haven’t had enough sleep and drive fatigued. Choices like these can lead to grave consequences especially when a car hits a bicycle.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 783 cyclists were killed in traffic crashes nationwide in 2017. There are steps that drivers and cyclists can take to decrease that number, if not eliminate bicycle traffic deaths altogether.

Know the statistics

The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations maintains statistics on traffic deathseach year.

Regardless of what time of year it is, the highest percentage of bicycle deaths happen between the hours of 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Over 70% of cyclist fatalities occur in urban as opposed to rural areas.
Alcohol use was reported in 35% of fatal crashes involving bicycles.

Get to know the rules of the road

Cyclists in Illinois are required to follow the same traffic rulesthat apply to motorists. This also means that bike riders generally have the same rights as drivers do. Drivers need to give cyclists enough space to travel safely. The Chicago Municipal Code prohibits cars from driving, standing, or parking in a bike lane. Cyclists should generally keep as far to the right as is practically possible, with a few exceptions. Both bike riders and drivers should remember that they have to share the road and that keeping a proper lookout for other travelers is paramount.

Don’t get distracted

Distracted driving is a big problem. This applies to people riding bikes as well. Not only that, but walking around in Chicago, you’re bound to see pedestrians looking down at their phones, too. Standing on the side walk and looking at your phone may be excusable, if not annoying to some, but propelling any form of transportation forward on city streets requires a person’s undivided attention.

We’ve all heard that texting and driving can kill. According to U.S. Government statistics, 1 in 10 fatal crashes involve people who were distracted while driving; an entirely preventable statistic. There is no excuse for pulling your phone out if you’re driving or if you’re riding a bike. Just pull over. Even the most important phone call can wait when it’s a matter of life or death.

If in doubt, learn to ride

The Chicago Department of Transportationand Divvy are offering free bicycle riding classeswith limited spots this summer. The classes are meant to help adults who never learned to ride a bike or haven’t ridden in a long time to ride with confidence and to feel comfortable riding on Chicago’s city streets. Space for these classes is limited. Classes may be open to children based on availability. Divvy will provide bikes to participants over the age of 16 because the program doesn’t allow kids under 16 to use its bikes. Participants under age 16 will have to provide their own bikes.