• The HOS rule has decreased from 82 hours in a week to 70 hours in a week.
• Drivers are required to take a 30 minute break after driving for eight hours.
• A driver, who drives the maximum 70 hours in a week, is required to take at least two nights’ rest from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. – the time when their body demands sleep the most.
• A driver is still permitted to be on the road up to 11 hours a day, including breaks.
• Trucking companies and truckers that violate the rules face steep fines. Companies that allow their drivers to exceed the 11-hour driving limit by three or more hours can be penalized $11,000 per offense, and the drivers could be fined a maximum of $2,750 for each violation.

A spokesperson for the FMCSA opines that the new rules will prevent truck accidents caused by fatigue and reduce fatalities. However, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a member of the National Transportation Safety Board believes that the implementation of the new rules is a step in the right direction but they are not strict enough. To truly reduce motor vehicle fatalities caused by truck driver fatigue, he posits that additional measures should be required. Those measures include requiring companies to inquire as to whether their employees suffer from any sleep disorders, installation of electronic devices in the trucks that monitor the hours driven, and mandatory driver education on fatigue.

Injured in a truck accident?

When trucks are involved in accidents, the results are often severe or fatal. This is due to the sheer size of an 18-wheeler compared to other motor vehicles. When truck drivers fail to follow federal regulations and truck driver fatigue causes serious injuries or wrongful death, the victim or family of the victim is entitled to compensation. An experienced truck accident attorney knows how to find the evidence to determine whether the driver was following the rules. Contact a personal injury attorney in your area to learn your rights.