There are over 30,000 deaths on U.S. highways each year. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, almost 4,000 people die each year from crashes with large trucks. Many other people are seriously hurt as a result of these accidents.
The new Department of Transportation Rules are supposed to reduce the average maximum number of hours a driver can work from 82 hours to 70 hours. However there are several problems with the new Rule.
The hours driven only include work hours. In many cases, a driver will go home to eat, clean up, and sleep. A driver may have to drive a half hour or more, to reach his or her house. And if additional time is taken to eat and clean up, a driver may not have enough time for a good night’s sleep prior to returning to work.
Although the rule may be in place, there will continue to be cases where drivers work more than the maximum hours allowed by the law.
Truckers need places to park their truck, in order to get some shut eye. Many large tractor trailers have cabins in which a trucker can sleep. However, if there is no place for a trucker to park, to get some sleep, the trucker in unable to get the necessary rest to drive safely. Unfortunately, there are areas of the U.S. in which there is a truck parking storage.