In an attempt to reduce the number of fatal truck accidents caused by drowsy truck drivers, federal regulations are set in place to limit the amount of time truckers can spend behind the wheel. Not all truck drivers follow these rules, however, and some negligent truckers could endanger the safety of other motorists on the road. At Pryor Priest & Harber, we know that drowsy and reckless truck drivers can cause serious truck accidents in Knoxville and across Tennessee. Unfortunately, these collisions may injure or kill innocent people.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration restricts truckers to 11 hours of driving time a day. Truck drivers are also prohibited from driving more than 60 or 70 hours in any seven or eight consecutive day period. In addition, truckers must take a 30-minute rest break sometime within the first eight hours of their drive time. While these regulations are enforced, it can be difficult to tell whether a trucker is driving drowsy until it is too late.
Truck drivers may be tempted to stay behind the wheel for extended periods of time in order to make more money, get home to their families or to meet tight deadlines. In some cases, trucking companies may be held responsible for scheduling truckers to drive in violation of the federal regulations. Whatever the case may be, the negligent parties should be held responsible for any damages, injuries or deaths that result from their careless actions.
To learn more information about large truck collisions, please visit our page on semi-truck accidents.