The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set regulations requiring truck drivers to take periodic rests throughout their drive. In addition, truckers are prohibited from driving more than 11 hours in a 24-hour period and 77 hours each week, as stated in the Hours of Service regulations. While all truckers in Tennessee and across the nation are held to this rule, a number of truck drivers fail to keep accurate driving records. As a result, fatigued truck drivers are at higher risk of causing catastrophic accidents, as well as injuring and killing innocent people.
A rule that was recently passed by the U.S. Department of Transportation will require all bus and commercial truckers to use electronic logging devices when recording their driving hours, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. Up until this point, truckers were responsible for keeping their own hours logged in a written book. Hand-written log books made it easy for truckers to manipulate their driving hours in order to spend more time on the road. More driving hours equates to a larger paycheck and helps truckers meet tight delivery deadlines. Yet a number of people are killed each year in truck accidents caused by drowsy truckers.
Not only do electronic logging devices record important information, including vehicle movement, miles driven, engine hours and location, this data can be sent to truck company headquarters to help control the fleet. The rule, which will require trucks to have electronic logging devices by December 2017, is expected to prevent at least 562 injuries and save countless lives every year.