Driver Fatigue

Commercial Truck Regulations

Federal regulations govern the number of hours a commercial semi-tractor trailer truck driver may drive in any given day.  These federal regulations further govern how many hours of sleep each truck driver should get.  Further, to minimize truck driving accidents, federal regulators also put limits on the number of hours and / or miles the truck driver may be on the road transporting his cargo.

Truck Driver Trip Log

Each truck driver is required to monitor and record in a log: start time and end time of travel; miles traveled; number of continuous hours traveling; hours of sleep each day.  However, this is a self-monitoring system, where the truck drivers could enter incorrect data into their logs or enter the incorrect information days after the fact which would represent an inaccurate representation of actual hours slept or hours / miles traveled.  Also with the added benefit of a bonus for delivering a cargo early, truck drivers may take stimulants or drive continuously, which may result in serious or critical injuries because of the negligence of these truck drivers.

Truck Driving Hours of Service

Federal regulations state that a truck driver should not drive more than ten (10) consecutive hours or more than eleven (11) hours in any given day.  Truck drivers are supposed to take a ten (10) hour break after driving for eleven (11) hours in any given day.  Additionally, truck drivers are supposed to have a weekly rest of at least thirty-four (34) consecutive hours.  Truck drivers may also not drive more than sixty (60) hours in a given week or more than seventy (70) hours in eight (8) consecutive days of truck driving.  With all of these regulations in place, it is clear that truck drivers may not travel as far as they want to without having to take a required break to rest, but all of these rules are in place to protect these truck drivers and all of the other drivers on the road who would be seriously or critically injured as a result of a truck accident.  California also has further truck regulations in place to further protect its California citizens and other drivers who share the road with these truck drivers.

Why Should I Hire A Trucking Accident Attorney?

If you or a loved one was ever involved in a truck accident in Burbank, Glendale, or Pasadena in which serious or critical injuries occurred, please contact one of our Truck Accident Lawyers for a free confidential initial consultation to discuss your semi-tractor trailer truck accident.  Upon retaining our Truck Accident Attorneys, we will obtain copies of the truck driver's log to ensure compliance with the Federal and California regulations for truck safety.  Our trucking accident lawyers will further research the trip log to ensure that there were no discrepancies, such as the truck driver covering a distance which would have been impossible if the truck driver had followed the required statutory regulations.

Injured in a Trucking Accident Due to a Truck Driver's Fatigue?

If a Truck Driver's Fatigue and negligence caused you to be seriously injured in a truck accident, contact one of our Trucking Accident Lawyers for a free consultation.

Call us today at 800-704-8237 to discuss your trucking accident.