Truck bill long overdue

Hopefully this is only the first step a the trucking industry in Connecticut has a long history of failures which the state needs to straighten out as soon as possible before someone else gets hurt.

From The Hartford Courant

The state Senate on Wednesday took the first steps toward closing a loophole in state law, passing a bill that requires the state to be notified when a commercial truck owner drops its insurance.

The loophole came to light after the July 29 crash of a dump truck on Route 44 at the bottom of Avon Mountain. Four people died, including a father of five.

An insurance company said later in a lawsuit that the trucking company had not renewed its liability insurance, prompting officials to ask why the state Department of Motor Vehicles was never notified.

Insurance companies now must notify the state if an individual's insurance for a privately owned car is canceled, but there is no similar provision for trucks.

The bill would require the truck owner - not the insurance company - to notify the DMV. It mandates that commercial owners can be charged with a Class D felony if they knowingly allow the operation of a vehicle without proper insurance. If convicted, the owner could face imprisonment of up to five years and a maximum fine of $5,000.