Blog Topic

Truck Driver Fatigue
Posted by: Christopher Hoffmann
March 20, 2009

A new rule that allows truck drivers to spend an extra hour on the road has been heavily criticized by a consortium of labor and safety groups including The Teamsters, Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Truck Safety Coalition.

As reported by Logistics Management, the consortium asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court to overturn the hours of service regulations. They also sent a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood seeking a reduction in the number of consecutive hours driving hours.

On Jan. 19, a rule promulgated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration went into effect which allows truck drivers to drive 11 hours within a 15-hour workday. The prior rule limited driving hours to ten hours in a 15-hour period. The new rule would also allow drivers to return to work after only 34-hours off duty. The prior rule required two days of off-duty time.

Opponents of the rule note that an FMCSA study concluded that fatigue-related crashes increased dramatically after eight consecutive hours of driving.

Approximately 5000 people are killed each year in truck accidents. With three major interstates running through the Missouri-Illinois border in St. Louis - I-44, I-64 and I-70 - Missouri and Illinois see their fair share of trucking accidents.

When a two-ton car collides with a 40-ton truck, regardless of fault, it is usually worse for the victims in the car. If you have been involved in a serious truck accident in Missouri or Illinois, you should immediately contact an experienced truck accident lawyer.

At The Hoffmann Law Firm, we only handle car and truck accident claims, and we are very good at our job. Attorney Chris Hoffmann personally handles every truck accident claim himself.

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