Zephyrhills Auto Accident Attorney Praises New Hours Limits for Commercial Truck Drivers
Apr 21, 2012
Zephyrhills, FL (Law Firm Newswire) April 20, 2012 – Earlier this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration changed its hours-of-service rules to improve road safety by reducing the number of poorly rested commercial truck drivers on the road.
The new hours of service only affect drivers who work extremely long hours, according to the FMCSA. The new rules mean drivers can only use the 34-hour restart provision once every 168 hours and there have to be two breaks during the restart that are between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.
“What these new truck driver work hour rules mean is safer highways,” said Zephyrhills auto accident attorney Robert Alston. “People are safer on the roadways when everyone else on the highway has had enough rest. Truck accidents cause so much damage. I am glad to see the regulatory agency has cut back the hours of service rule to force commercial drivers and the companies they work for to run a safe business.”
The new rule leaves the 11-hour day maximum for commercial drivers because the groups studying new rules could not prove that a 10-hour day was significantly safer than an 11-hour day. Because the restarts can only happen once a week, the new rule basically cuts most drivers from a maximum seven-day shift of 82 hours down to 70 hours. Drivers also will have to take a 30-minute break during every eight-hour stretch of driving.
“Anything the regulators do to ensure the roads are more safe is a positive step from the commercial transportation industry,” Alston said. “I am sure the companies that dispatch these commercial drivers will feel a pinch at first as they reconfigure work schedules, but it will be worth it when the roads are safer for trucks and automobiles.”
Robert Alston is a partner in the firm of Alston & Baker, P. A. To contact a Zephyrhills Social Security lawyer, Zephyrhills accident attorney, or Zephyrhills divorce lawyer, visit http://www.alstonbakerlaw.com.
Alston & Baker, P.A.
5518 Seventh Street
Zephyrhills, Florida 33542
Call: 813-779-8895
Toll-free: 1-888-500-5245
