Truckers Lobby for Safe Parking Areas for Drivers

It isn't everyday that you get an issue that the trucking industry and Texas truck accident lawyers agree on. Jason's Law happens to be one of them.

The widow of a truck driver who was shot in cold blood at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina, where he had parked his truck, is joining hands with legislators across the table, to push for legislation that would expand safe parking and rest area facilities for truck drivers across the country. Hope Rivenburg is the widow of Jason Rivenburg. In 2008, Rivenburg was shot dead by a robber as he rested in his truck at a gas station in South Carolina. He had been waiting outside a store to make a milk delivery.

Rivenburg had faced the same dilemma that thousands of truck drivers do everyday-lack of adequate and safe rest areas and parking facilities when they need to pull over for some rest, or have to wait outside a facility to make a delivery. This week, Hope addressed a press conference where she pushed for the passing of Jason's Law, which will encourage the Department of Transportation, to collaborate with state and local agencies to expand existing truck rest facilities and build new ones.

The bill will provide for funds for building new truck stops and safe resting areas, improving existing truck stops, as well as enhancing access to these facilities so truckers can have a rest area that's close to them.

The lack of such facilities places truckers a situation where they have to

• Pull over on a highway shoulder to grab some shut eye
• Pull over in an unsafe place
• Continue driving tired and drowsy, until they find a truck stop.

None of these options is safe for the truck driver. They also pose a serious accident risk to motorists on the highway, who may be sharing the road with a tired trucker looking for a place to rest.

The Houston truck accident lawyers at SMSH represent injured victims of tractor-trailer, 18 wheeler and semi truck accidents in Houston, Galveston, Brazoria and around the state of Texas.