Tired Truckers Endanger Columbia Motorists
Fatigued drivers are dangerous drivers because they experience delayed reaction times and their judgment is impaired. In fact, a driver who is too tired can actually be just as dangerous as a motorist who is drunk.
While this is an issue for all drivers, it is especially a problem when the fatigued operator is a trucker in charge of handling a large commercial motor vehicle.
A truck accident lawyer knows the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently changed the rules regarding the number of hours a trucker can drive per week. Some senators, however, are trying to roll back new limitations and increase the amount of time a trucker can spend behind the wheel. A new survey sheds doubt on whether the public would be in support of such a measure.
Motorists are Concerned About Tired Truckers
According to The Hill, a senator has introduced an amendment to the Senate appropriations bill that would allow truck drivers to operate their vehicles for a full 82 hours over the course of a week before being required to take an extended rest break. This is much more than the FMCSA permits. When recent changes to regulations went into effect, the FMCSA limited the number of hours truckers could drive to a total of 70 hours per week before a 36-hour rest break encompassing two overnight periods between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Several other senators have put forth their own amendment keeping the FMCSA rule in effect.
Professional trucking groups have suggested the 70 hour limit and the rest break requirement is too restrictive and ends up with truckers being on the road during higher traffic times, which actually undermines safety.
However, the public and many safety groups do not seem to be in support of increasing the number of hours a trucker can drive each week. According to a recent study conducted by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Truck Safety Coalition, a full 80 percent of survey respondents were concerned about the risks tired truckers could present on the roads and indicated they would not be in support of changing the rules to allow drivers to stay on the road for longer over the course of a week.
The public’s fear of tired truckers is well-founded. According to Safe Roads.org, a full 5,000 people are hurt and 150,000 people are killed in truck crashes annually and around 750 of the deaths and 20,000 of the injuries occur as a direct result of override truckers. The recent truck crash that nearly killed the comedian Tracy Morgan drew attention to the danger tired truckers can present on the roads, and may be part of the reason why the public is against relaxing the FMCSA rules.
While the debate is likely to continue, the ultimate responsibility falls on the truckers to make smart choices and avoid getting behind the wheel when they are too tired and would put the public at risk.
Columbia, South Carolina car accident victims should contact McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC at 803-327-7800 or visit https://www.mcgowanhood.com for a free case consultation. Also serving Anderson, SC, Rock Hill, SC, Sumter, SC, and Georgetown, SC, and surrounding areas.
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC has been a part of your community for years. We founded our firm in its current state in 2003, but each of our partners – Chad McGowan, S. Randall Hood, Johnny Felder and Robert Phillips – has more than 20 years of experience to his name. Since then, we have grown in both size and number, with nearly 20 attorneys whose primary goal is offer you and your family exceptional legal guidance and support when most needed.
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