For the safety of everyone on the road, the government has enacted safety regulations for truck driver fatigue. Charleston has its own regulations that truckers must follow, and when they do not, accidents tend to correlate. If you or someone you know was injured because of a trucker’s negligence, a lawyer may be necessary if you are interested in recovering compensation for your losses.
Rules and Regulations Enacted to Prevent Trucker Fatigue
There are several rules and regulations in place to prevent truck driver fatigue. The first major one would be the federal motor carrier rules and regulations about when, where, and how truck drivers should operate. On a more basic level, there are rules and instructions about how tractor-trailer drivers should behave and what they should do in the commercial driver’s license manual. Each state has its own manual, but it is pulled from a body of work that is consistent nationally with some minor changes in the various jurisdictions in various states.
How Many Hours Could a Trucker Work Legally?
Legally, a truck driver is allowed to work a certain amount of hours per day. Under no circumstance should a trucker be driving past 11 hours without some period of break. Especially with above-road truckers, which are those that travel many times interstate or state to state with long hauls or even daily hauls, the driver should not push beyond 11 hours.
Legally, a trucker may work up to 14 hours, but that is only permitted if he or she were previously not working and resting for a period of at least 10 hours. A trucker, under no circumstances, may work more than 60 hours over seven consecutive days.
Mandatory Rest for Tractor-Trailer Drivers
Typically, the mandatory rest period between shifts is between five and six hours. In more specific circumstances, drivers must take a 30-minute rest break after their first eight hours on shift. Common sense would also dictate that the more rest somebody gets the better they are going to be, but driving regulations do not always follow common sense.
The employers for these tractor-trailer drivers many times push the limits or try to get the tractor-trailer driver to push the envelope on what could be done.
Logging Hours Worked
Drivers and their employers typically keep track of the hours logged. There are federal motor carrier rules that require the tractor-trailer driver and their employer to track the hours of driving versus rest through driver’s logs. In the past, it was done with an actual paper log filled out by the tractor-trailer driver in most instances. With modern technology, there are different hardware and software applications that assist the driver and the employer to properly track the number of hours driven versus the number of hours of rest and so forth.
Speak to a Lawyer for More Information on Charleston’s Safety Regulations for Trucker Fatigue
To prevent wrecks on the road, states and the federal government have outlined safety regulations for truck driver fatigue. In Charleston, truck accidents are unfortunately common. If you suspect that a trucker has neglected the safety rules of the road and harmed you or a loved one as a result, you may be able to hold either the trucker or their company responsible for your losses. To do so, reach out to a dedicated attorney today.
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