Driving While Sleepy and Other Rules for Greenville Truckers

Driving while sleepy can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to a recent announcement, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, known as FMCSA, recently updated its rules for truckers. The hours of service for commercial drivers have been curtailed to prevent driver fatigue, a leading cause of catastrophic accidents.

The FMCSA’s New Rules

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new rules were established after months of entertaining public comments on the proposals. The new guidelines include the following points:

• Truckers' work weeks are limited to 70 hours.
• Truckers can resume driving after reaching 70 hours by resting for 34 consecutive hours.
• Drivers must take a 30-minute break within the first 8 hours of a shift.
• Workdays continue to be limited to 11 hours driving time and 14 hours total working time.

Other Issues Worth Consideration

One problem not addressed was the right of commercial truckers to decline work when sick. According to a recent post, federal code prohibits operating a vehicle when an illness renders the driver unable to function because of reduced alertness. However, most employers interpret this to mean suffering from a severe illness that renders the driver handicapped.

Drivers should determine whether they’re impaired by illness, but simple sniffles aren’t accepted as causes not to work. Many critics feel that the FMCSA's update should have addressed this issue, but it did not. The new rules are expected to save around 19 lives and prevent 560 injuries each year. That would translate to $280 million in savings due to fewer crashes.

The Dangers of Driver Fatigue

According to a recent post by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37% of the U.S. population gets less than 7 hours of sleep per night. Fatigue is caused by not having enough sleep and also the lack of quality sleep.

Causes of fatigue include other issues that also target truck drivers:

• Not getting enough sleep over consecutive days
• Being awake for long hours in one day
• Monotonous work tasks and long periods of inactivity
• Forced to sleep at unusual times
• Sleep disorders like sleep apnea
• Certain medications

Driver fatigue generates severe risks of accidents with the following effects:

• Nodding off while driving on a monotonous highway
• Reacting more slowly to changes in road or driving conditions
• Making poor decisions
• Drifting over lane lines
• Developing tunnel vision and not seeing broader threats
• Experiencing microsleeps of about 30-second durations

If you were involved in a traffic accident due to fatigue, there might be a series of repercussions that may place your livelihood in danger. That is why it is critical to contact an experienced truck accident attorney in Greenville. A legal expert can carefully review your case and make sure that your rights are protected during the proceedings.

Driving as if Your Life Depends on It

Greenville drivers should always drive as if their lives depend on their actions. If you catch yourself nodding off, find a place to pull over. Get some much-needed rest or mental stimulation to ward off fatigue. Drivers can expect stricter limits in the future and significantly higher insurance premiums.

One break for drivers comes from the new sleeper berth provision. This Initiative allows truck drivers to extend their shifts by splitting the mandatory 10 consecutive hours of off-duty time into two shifts. Drivers can work longer hauls by dropping in a rest break that fully complies with the new rules.

One potential rule is expected to see action by the Biden Administration. Speed limiters, devices that limit the speed of trucks, were proposed by the FMCSA. The proposal would result in three-speed limiters of 60, 65, and 68 mph. This proposal is likely to be revived in the Biden Administration agenda.

Accidents Happen for Many Reasons

No strategy will ever eliminate accidents entirely, and most drivers support greater flexibility in complying with the rules. Accidents that occur in Greenville happen for many reasons including driver fatigue. When that happens, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer, to ensure that your rights are protected.