HOURS OF SERVICE RULES: WHAT'S DOWN THE ROAD?

A 1995 report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) estimates that 50% of fatalities each year involving truck drivers is partly due to fatigue, making it a bigger problem than either drugs or alcohol. Fatigue slows reaction times, impairs judgment, and increases the risk of injury to everyone. Some safety groups say that fatigue-related crashes may be underestimated by two to four times. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) may be about to address the problem by changing the rules that regulate how many hours truckers can drive. The current hours of service rules say that for every 8 consecutive hours a trucker is off duty, he can drive a maximum of 10 hours. These hours are more likely to cause fatigue than relieve it, since research shows humans need adequate rest in a 24-hour period versus an 18-hour period. The FHWA has received several recommendations from the NTSB, along with over 1,600 invited comments. Another change being considered by the FHWA is to require installation of computerized monitors that automatically record the number of hours truckers drive. Drivers admit they violate the present hours-of-service rules. Though there has been no comprehensive study of how often this occurs, the FHWA charges approximately 1,000 companies each year for such transgressions. Since truckers are usually paid by the mile, the trip, the load, or a percentage of the value of the load, there is a financial incentive to drive as long as possible.