If a new proposal that has been made by the Federal motor carrier Safety Administration and supported by New York truck accident attorneys, is approved, truckers in the state of New York and elsewhere around the country will have a 10-hour limit on the number of hours that they can drive consecutively in a day.
The proposal is part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration?s efforts to revive the Hours of Service for commercial truckers. The proposals include a number of other provisions, but it is the part which includes a limit on the maximum number of hours that a trucker can drive in a day, that has been the object of much scrutiny and debate. New York truck accident attorneys have supported a reduced limit on the number of hours that a trucker can drive in a day. The FMCSA has proposed a 10-hour limit and has invited this for public comment. However, the FMCSA has not completely come out in support of a 10-hour limit. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has said that it will support any rule that will keep truckers rested, refreshed and not fatigue.
Limiting truck driver fatigue involves limiting the number of hours that they can drive consecutively on the highway. A truck driver may have several factors that increase the risk of fatigue. For instance, truck drivers work alone, driving on long highways, which increases the risks of nodding off at the wheel. In a situation like this, a truck driver who has been driving for 11 or 12 hours at a stretch is at a much higher risk of being in an accident. Unfortunately, truck drivers are under strict and tight schedules that do not allow them to pull over for a couple of hours of rest. A rule like this that restricts the number of hours that a truck driver can drive, can help minimize the risk of truck accidents related to fatigue.