Commercial Trucking On-Board Recorders
New Rule Requires On-Board Recorders for Truck and Bus Companies with Hours of Service Violations
A new federal rule aims to crack down on truckers and trucking companies that put other motorists at risk by driving too many hours without proper rest.
The rule by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will require commercial truck and bus companies that exhibit patterns of hours-of-service violations to install electronic on-board recorders in all their vehicles.
Electronic on-board recorders, commonly known as black boxes, automatically record the number of hours drivers spend operating the vehicle.
Driver fatigue is a commonly cited factor in serious and fatal highway accidents involving large trucks. Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations set specific limits on how many hours commercial truck and bus drivers may drive on a daily and weekly basis. But when trucking companies set unreasonable delivery deadlines that require too many hours behind the wheel, or truckers choose to ignore safe driving rules, they endanger other drivers and passengers.
If you have been a victim of a serious truck accident caused by trucker fatigue, contact the Pennsylvania injury and accident lawyers of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C.
Call 877-421-9175 today for a free evaluation of your case, or use our online form. We are committed to holding truckers and trucking companies accountable for negligent and reckless driving. I
At Munley, Munley & Cartwright P.C., our knowledge of the commercial motor carrier safety regulations allows us to offer expert legal advice to clients seriously injured by dangerous drivers and unsafe trucks.
Hours of Service Regulations
Trucking companies with significant hours-of-service violations have a 40 percent higher crash rate than the overall motor carrier population. To reduce those serious and fatal truck accidents, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will require carriers with 10 percent or more hours-of-service violations during a compliance review to install electronic on-board recorders -- or EOBRs -- in all their vehicles for a minimum of two years.
The new rules take effect on June 1, 2012.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering expanding the requirements for electronic on-board recorders to a broader category of commercial motor vehicles. The National Highway Transportation Safety Board has for years urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to mandate the use of black box recorders in all 18-wheelers to reduce injuries and deaths. Large trucks were involved in 380,000 crashes in 2008, including more than 4,000 fatal accidents and 90,000 accidents causing injury.
The truck litigation team at Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., is nationally recognized for our expertise in state and federal trucking regulations. We handle truck wreck cases from across the nation, including those involving driver fatigue, speeding, alcohol and drug use, unsecured loads, defective equipment, and improper maintenance or inspection. We understand how the trucking industry operates.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in an accident with a large truck, the Pennsylvania truck accident attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright, P.C., are ready to stand up for you. If you or a loved one has been hurt by the carelessness of a truck driver, call us today at 877-421-9175 or use our online form. We do not collect any fees or compensation until we obtain financial compensation on your behalf.
