Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
Most truck accidents involving commercial vehicles are caused by driver fatigue. Truckers must work long hours and lose sleep in order to deliver their products on time. Unfortunately because commercial vehicles are so large, truck accidents are often fatal for other drivers. These truck accidents are preventable by making sure drivers get enough sleep before getting behind the wheel.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration originally enacted rules in 2004 to regulate drivers' hours of service. This week they announced some new proposed changes which they hope will reduce truck accidents while still allowing truckers to do their jobs.
The biggest changes involve reducing the maximum daily driving time and increasing the amount of mandatory rest time. Currently drivers are limited to 11 hours of driving per day. The proposed change would bring it down to 10 hours. Another change being considered is to limit drivers to 7 hours of consecutive driving, after which they would need to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Some proposed changes would also modify on-duty time. Drivers would have to be taken off duty after 14 hours whether or not they were driving the whole time. They would also be given a one-hour break during that period, which would reduce their work time from 14 hours to just 13.
It remains to be seen whether these new regulations will have a positive effect on safety. If they are adopted and practiced by the trucking industry it would be a victory for drivers everywhere. When commercial trucks collide with smaller cars the results are often fatal. That is why we need to make sure commercial drivers stay rested and ready for the road.
Source: TruckingInfo.com, "FMCSA Proposes Seven Changes in Hours Rule," Oliver B. Patton, 28 December 2010
