PHOENIX (AP) — A milk truck-tanker collision on a Phoenix highway in 2021 that killed four people and injured several others was due to driver fatigue, a U.S. Transportation Investigator said Tuesday. rice field.
In a virtual meeting to release its probable cause report, the National Transportation Safety Board criticized Arizona Milk Transport for not ensuring drivers had enough rest.
NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy said at the conference: “We hope this study serves as a wake-up call to AMT and the industry at large.”
Arizona Milk Transport did not immediately respond to a voicemail requesting comment. An employee who answered another phone number asked the business owner a question.
On the night of June 9, 2021, a combination truck and tanker carrying milk was on State Route 202 in Phoenix. crashed into a car Stopped due to road closure and collided with the last car in the line. The tanker separated from the truck. The truck crashed into a concrete median, setting the truck and another car on fire.
Six cars were involved in the collision in addition to the truck tanker.
Four people between the ages of 20 and 35 died. Eleven others were injured. The driver was not injured.
Authorities ruled out alcohol, illegal drugs and distractions as factors.
An official investigation found video, records and other evidence that the truck driver had barely slept on the day of the accident. Video from a camera aimed at the truck showed the driver looking ahead for about 10 seconds before crashing. There are no signs.
Drivers also had the opportunity to get 5-6 hours of sleep earlier in the day. Instead, he was practically working more than 12 hours a day.
Under federal law, drivers who transport milk or other perishables within 150 miles of their destination are eligible for the agricultural exemption from driving time restrictions. Arizona Milk Transport had its own policy on maximum travel time per day but was unable to enforce it, he said in a preliminary NTSB report. The NTSB found that the driver involved in the accident and other drivers did indeed violate these policies on a regular basis, with him working 70 to 80 hours a week.
“Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe,” said Homendy. “Driving fatigue is deadly. Period.”
The NTSB has suggested to Arizona Milk Transport that it create a program to ensure drivers follow policy and don’t get tired.
Their findings prompted the NTSB to recommend that the US Department of Transportation review the safety records of other airlines that take advantage of this exemption. The findings could help shape recommendations to Congress on how to improve driver safety.
Also, there is currently no federal requirement that semis have a standard for collision avoidance technology. If the truck or one of the other vehicles was equipped with sensors, cameras, or wireless connectivity, investigators could provide the truck driver with timely warnings to prevent a collision or mitigate its effects. He said it was likely that
