Those who drive trucks for a living face risk on the road day in and day out. Not only do they need to be wary of drivers around them but they need to be aware of their own driving skills and fatigue levels.
In order to help truck drivers use caution and keep our roads safe, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established a set of laws and regulations regarding the amount of time a truck driver can drive consecutively and implementing mandatory rest periods.
These regulations for trucking companies to follow are outlined below:
Property Carrying drivers:
- 11-hour driving limit– May drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty.
- 14-hour driving limit- May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period.
- 30-Minute Driving Break- Drivers must take a 30-minute break when they have driven for a period of 8 cumulative hours without at least a 30-minute interruption. The break may be satisfied by any non-driving period of 30 consecutive minutes (i.e., on-duty not driving, off-duty, sleeper berth, or any combination of these taken consecutively).
- 60/70-Hour Limit- May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days. A driver may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty.
These laws were created to protect the safety of truckers as well as other drivers on the road. In order to enhance trucking companies following these guidelines, the use of electronic logging devices was implemented in December 2017.
Before electronic logging devices, truckers were manually keeping track of their driving and resting hours on paper manually. Of course, this method was vulnerable to human error and purposeful manipulation and was hard to monitor. While not the norm, some trucking companies would keep two logs- one to show authorities and one to track their real hours.
Electronic logging devices take away the risk of human error or manipulation when it comes to tracking driving hours. Research has found that the implementation of ELDs has increased compliance with federal hours of service regulations. But have they prevented trucking accidents?
Unfortunately, despite higher compliance with hours of service regulations, trucking accidents have actually increased since the implementation of ELDs. That was especially true for independent owner-operators, who saw an 11.6 percent increase in accidents and small fleets of between two and 20 trucks with a 9 percent increase.
Some studies have suggested that in order to follow hours of service regulations but also meet the demands of their jobs, truckers have engaged in riskier behavior, including speeding, which is leading to more accidents.
Truck Accident Lawyer in Hamilton Ohio
This time of year, we know demands on truckers are higher than ever. We are appreciative of the work truckers do to ensure everyone gets their holiday shipments and deliveries on time. With that said, we must hold trucking companies accountable to adhere to the safety regulations put in place for their fleet.
If you are involved in a truck accident, you will need to contact a truck accident lawyer in Hamilton, Ohio. You could receive damages for the injuries you sustained. The Richards Firm is your local truck, car, and motorcycle accident lawyer with years of experience representing accident victims in an effort to create safer roads for us all.
We can be reached at 513-868-2731, ext. 219 or visit us at https://richardsinjuryfirm.com.
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