Are there trucking regulations governing the number of hours a truck driver can operate in a 24 hour period?
Hours of Service. Driver fatigue and drowsiness are conditions that result in reckless behavior such as failure to keep in the proper lane and running off the road. Tired truckers are of such concern that in April of 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) instituted new hours of service regulations to curb truckers’ problems with fatigue. While these laws have helped reduce the number of accidents, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board still blames driver fatigue as a probable factor in 20-40% of truck crashes.
Since 1939, Federal law has placed restrictions on the hours of service that a trucker may operate his truck. Recent changes have been made to these rules for the first time in over 60 years. The new rules are designed to reduce the effect of cumulative fatigue and prevent many of the accidents and fatalities to which fatigue is a contributing factor for big rig drivers.
Truck driver fatigue can have devastating consequences to others on the road. In 2003, there were over 4,600 fatal wrecks involving large commercial trucks.
Related Information:
More on Truck Driver Fatigue
Effects of Sleep Schedules on Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Performance
Federal Trucking Regulations: Hours of Service
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