Controversy Swirling around New Driving Limits for Truckers
March 21, 2013
A case brought before the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington is asking justices to consider removing certain driving limits for truck drivers under a new law.
An article from Bloomberg News explains the new law would still allow truck drivers to drive for 11-hour shifts, but would require a 34-hour rest period each week that would force drivers off the road for two consecutive evenings.
The American Trucking Association has called for the laws to be nullified because they believe the government used skewed data to support the law. The group says such changes will have negative financial impacts on the trucking industry in the form of a $470 million loss.
Those in favor of the laws say loopholes in the previous law allowed drivers to be on the road for up to 82 hours per week, when rules limited drivers to no more than 60 hours. These loopholes led to more driver fatigue, and the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates drowsy driving was responsible for as many as 13 percent of all truck accidents. Experts say the current law reduces this number to roughly 2 percent of crashes.
The Roanoke Personal Injury Attorneys with Skolrood Law Firm understand the devastating effects a crash with a tractor-trailer can have. The firm may be able to help if you have been injured in a Roanoke Truck Accident through no fault of your own.
