One Third of Trucks Unsafe?

On April 27th a story ran out of Arkansas about how the Arkansas Highway Police are using a new technology to detect faulty brakes on "big rigs". The technology employs infrared scanners that can detect whether or not a semi-truck's brakes are working. While we commend Arkansas law enforcement for their innovative efforts to keep roads safer, one has to wonder why the trucking companies themselves aren't doing more to ensure that the trucks they put on the road are properly and safely maintained.

Perhaps it is not ironic nor is it coincidental that the opening and closing sentences of the story read as follows:

• "Every year, more than 100 people are killed in Arkansas from accidents involving large trucks."

• "Of those pulled over, about a third of them were put out of service."

Could this mean that up to one third of all trucks on the road are unsafe? Or was it just those that were scanned (an estimated 3,000) and pulled over?

The article is unclear about whether or not the trucks are scanned while driving or at a weigh station, but what is clear and is very scary is the fact that every day thousands and thousands of trucks are being put on the road with unsafe and faulty brakes.

As the driver in the article admits, "It's dangerous". We agree.