Federal Regulations to Address Fatigued Drivers Finalized
Semi truck drivers who are driving while fatigued are a dangerous problem that has led to numerous injury and fatal accidents. As a result, the federal government has issued regulations that address the number of hours a semi truck driver can drive and/or be on-duty before he/she has to take time off. The idea is that, based on scientific, medical and other evidence of the effects of fatigue on driving, after a certain number of hours of driving and/or working, a semi truck driver will likely become tired to the extent it becomes dangerous for her/him to continue driving.
The government has made several attempts to set these hours of service regulations in a way that everyone finds acceptable. Recently, the federal government has decided that the current hours of service will become the final rule. In general, the rule provides that a semi truck driver is limited to 11 hours of driving time or 14 hours of on-duty time before he/she has to take a break of 10 hours or more. It is the intention of these regulations that semi truck drivers will not drive while fatigued and will take the necessary breaks to ensure that they are rested and alert when driving. Of course, enforcement of the rule often depends on a semi truck's and trucking company's inclination to accurately document driving hours and on-duty time in the log book. The failure of a semi truck driver to maintain accurate log books often defeats the purpose of the hours of service rule and results in serious injury accidents caused by fatigued semi truck drivers.
