From Asheville, and the mountains in the west, to the coastal waters of the Outer Banks, North Carolina offers some of the most scenic topography found anywhere in the U.S. A modern system of highways makes travel easy throughout the state. Not only does that system support tourism and travel, but it is also extremely important to the commercial vehicles that use the roads to help support the economy of the state. However, many drivers can attest to the challenges and real danger of sharing the road with speeding 18-wheelers.
According to the Department of Public Safety in North Carolina, the state has the second largest state-maintained highway system in the nation including:
- More than 78,000 miles of highways
- Primary highways (U.S., N.C. & Interstate): 14,616 miles
- Secondary roads: 63,467 miles
- Lane miles: 270,000 miles
- Bridges: 17,250 bridges (spanning 380 total miles)
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is responsible for commercial Motor Carrier Enforcement. Among their many efforts, troopers try to reduce accidents and fatalities involving commercial and other vehicles by:
- Increasing law enforcement presence regarding commercial vehicles.
- Increasing the frequency of driver and vehicle inspections by conducting motor carrier audits.
- Enforcing serious commercial driver's license (CDL) violations.
- Operating permanent weigh stations along the main highways.
- Weighing truck loads with portable equipment during random roadside checks.
Commercial vehicle crashes can result in significant economic losses as well as injury, pain and even death. These accidents happen for many reasons that include:
- Poorly maintained mechanical systems
- Overloaded trailers
- Dangerous driving related to fatigue, driving under the influence and recklessness
If you or someone you know has been hurt in an accident with an 18-wheeler, reach out to an experienced North Carolina personal injury attorney for help. Make the call today.