• 20
  • January
    2012

Along the corridor of I-70 in Colorado, dangerous truck accidents take place every month. These accidents are sometimes caused by oversized loads, poor maintenance practices on the part of the trucking companies, or unsafe driving practices which can be due to exhaustion.

Drivers of big rigs and 18-wheelers often put in very long hours, up to 11 hours day and 82 hours a week, in fact. In an effort to cut back on accidents caused by fatigued drivers, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently announced that it is reducing the number of hours a truck driver is allowed to be on the road.

Commercial truck drivers passing through Glenwood -- and all over the U.S. -- will see their hours cut back to no more than 70 hours in a seven-day period. They are also going to be required to take a 30-minute break after driving for eight hours. Drivers will still be allowed to drive up to 11 hours in one day under the new rules.

Truck drivers have until July 1, 2013 to comply with the new rules.

Hopefully, truck drivers and trucking companies will obey these new policies. When drivers - of all types of vehicles -- are well trained, alert and focused on the task at hand, we should see less bad accidents causing injuries.

Truck drivers found in violation of the new rules, and the companies in charge of them, will be fined for each infraction, according to the FMCSA.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, "U.S. Department of Transportation Takes Action to Ensure Truck Driver Rest Time and Improve Saftey Behind the Wheel," FMSCA, Dec. 22, 2011