While truck safety has improved in recent years, thousands of people still die in accidents with trucks every year.
In 2003, under the Bush administration, the number of hours a commercial truck driver could drive in a day was increased from 10 to 11. Furthermore, truck drivers are allowed to drive as much as 77 hours in a 7-day period, with 34 hours off before they return to work.
While truck safety has improved in recent years, thousands of people still die in accidents with trucks every year. In 2009, some 3,600 people died in accidents with large trucks, and another 74,000 were injured. Public safety advocates were concerned that this increase in hours would worsen the problem of truck driver fatigue, one cause of trucking accidents. (In driving tests, drowsy drivers have been shown to perform even more poorly than drunk drivers.)
The citizen advocacy group, Public Citizen, as well as the Teamsters union and other groups have twice brought suit against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to overturn the increase in hours. Arguing that shorter hours and improved work conditions would protect both truck drivers and other motorists, they have twice won in court and the FMCSA was ordered to tighten work hours, but no action was taken.
Under the Obama administration, the FMCSA has begun working on revisions. The agency has proposed a number of changes, including:
• Reducing driving hours from 11 to 10;
• Limiting the active duty window to 13 hours, thereby giving drivers a one-hour break; and
• Modify the 34 hour restart period.
Three state representatives on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have sent a letter to President Obama opposing the changes and stating the position of the trucking industry that no changes are needed. The American Trucking Association has said that the proposed rule change would lower wages for drivers and increase costs for carriers. The position of business owners is that increased regulation will do nothing to improve safety.
If the proposed changes go into effect, the American Trucking Association has said it will sue. If the FMCSA takes no action, Public Citizen and the Teamsters will renew their lawsuit, which is on hold at this time, pending action from the agency. A decision was to have been issued by now, but it continues to be delayed.
