Tennessee Truck Driver Fatigue
Tractor Trailer Accident
Lawyers
There were 7,912,018 large trucks on the road as of 2003. Driver
fatigue can make turn any one of those vehicles into a potential
disaster. Yet many large companies pressured by profit margin and the
stock market may put delivery times over driver safety.
When commercial drivers become fatigued from excessive daily and
weekly work hours, they substantially increase the risk of crashes that
result in death or serious injuries. According to the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 750 people die and
20,000 more are injured each year due directly to fatigued commercial
vehicle drivers.
Rules implemented by The U.S. Department of Transportation's
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2003 allow
tractor-trailer truck drivers to drive 11 hours after 10 consecutive
hours off-duty. Also, tractor-trailer truck drivers may not drive beyond
the 14th hour after coming on-duty, following 10 hours off-duty. Similar
to existing rules, tractor-trailer truck drivers may not drive after
being on-duty for 60 hours in a seven-consecutive-day period or 70 hours
in an eight-consecutive-day period. This on-duty cycle may be restarted
whenever a tractor-trailer truck driver takes at least 34 consecutive
hours off-duty.
Short-haul tractor-trailer truck drivers—those tractor-trailer
truck drivers who routinely return to their place of dispatch after each
duty tour and then are released from duty—may have an increased on-duty
period of 16 hours once during any seven-consecutive-day period. The
16-hour exception takes into consideration legitimate business needs
without jeopardizing safety. FMCSA estimates that without the extra two
on-duty hours, the industry would be required to hire at least 48,000
new drivers, actually reducing crash-reduction benefits.
The current rule allows 10 hours of driving within a 15-hour
on-duty period after eight hours of off-duty time. Also, tractor-trailer
drivers may not drive after their 15th hour on duty in a workday or
after 60 hours on-duty in seven consecutive days or 70 hours on-duty in
eight consecutive days.
If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed
in a fatal
Tennessee
tractor-trailer truck accident, it is important to consider your legal
options. Many truckers are employed by large corporations that may put
delivery of their goods ahead of your safety. Don't pay for the
transportation industry's greed.
For immediate assistance, call us toll-free at
1-877-871-4097.
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