The Richards Firm is available 24 hours a day and can hold meetings in person, by telephone, or virtually. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

Safety Regulations For Truck Drivers

This may not be obvious to many, but the life of a truck driver is actually filled with many hazards and at times can come with a lot of safety concerns. Truck drivers spend long hours on the road on a daily basis and encounter all types of driving conditions and all types of poor drivers.

It takes extra training and special skills to be able to maneuver and safely drive a semi-truck with trailer. All this combines to create what can be hazardous working conditions, which may have you wondering, what safety regulations have been put into place for truck drivers?

Luckily, there are safety regulations put into place to protect both truck drivers and passenger vehicle drivers and ultimately reduce the risk of commercial truck involved accidents. Most of the regulations revolve around the time drivers spend on the road and ensuring they get an adequate amount of rest.

Rest has been found as one of the key factors in preventing truck accidents so it must be a priority that truck drivers follow these regulations.

Hours of Service Guidelines

The federal government has created guidelines around how many hours a commercial driver can be on the road and how many hours qualify as enough time to rest. This will look different for different types or classes of drivers.

There are several different considerations drivers need to keep in mind when tracking their driving and resting time.

  • A rest or reset only counts legally after taking 34 consecutive hours off duty.
  • Once that reset is completed the workweek begins
  • Each duty period must begin with at least 10 hours off duty
  • Drivers cannot work more than 60 hours over seven consecutive days
  • Drivers take a mandatory 30 minute break every 8 hours
  • A duty period cannot be longer than 14 hours

These drive time and rest time regulations are for the protection of truck drivers and everyone else on the road. It is imperative that they be followed and taken seriously.

What Happens When Regulations Are Not Followed?

There are a multitude of consequences that have been put into place to discourage truck drivers or companies to go outside the guidelines that have been set.

These consequences include being shut down until drivers can obtain enough rest, fines, decreased safety rating and even criminal charges for carriers or drivers who knowingly or repeatedly violate the laws in place.

Unfortunately, one natural consequence of not following these regulations is truck accidents. These can result in serious injury and even death.

At The Richards Firm, we are truck accident lawyers in Hamilton, Ohio who are experts in the laws and regulations set for truck drivers. When these laws are not followed and it results in injury or death of a loved one, we want to help you receive damages you may be owed.

We hope everyone on the road can drive safely and responsibly but when negligence happens, we are here to uphold accountability. Give us a call today at 513-868-2731, ext. 219.

Share This Post

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

We're Here to Help

If you’re in need of legal guidance in Ohio or Kentucky, The Richards Firm can help.

Click here to schedule a free consultation or ask a question. Use the icons below to follow us online.

Recent Posts