The rule leaves the 11-hour workday intact, which many trucking companies insisted on. However, it reduces the total number of hours a driver may work in seven days from 80 hours to 72 hours. It also requires drivers to take a thirty-minute break within the first eight hours on the road, and it requires drivers who have met their 72-hour weekly limit to sleep between midnight and 5 a.m. during their 34-hour off-duty “restart” period.

Some trucking companies estimate that the reduced number of total work hours drivers can put in each week will cost millions in lost miles that would otherwise have been covered. Many are making plans to hire additional drivers to make up for the lost workload, but many are also predicting that the costs of adding drivers will result in increased costs for shipping – costs that will likely be passed to consumers.

Professional commercial drivers need to make a living, but they also need enough time for sleep, rest, and self-care to allow them to drive safely. At Page Law, our experienced truck accident lawyers in St. Louis are dedicated to fighting on behalf of those injured by a truck driver’s or company’s negligence. For more information on how we can help after a crash, call Page Law today at (314) 322-8515.

This situation existed until the Obama administration worked out a deal recently with several safety advocacy groups to reconsider the Bush administration’s 11th hour rule. But here’s the worrisome part. Until the government is done reconsidering this rule, public safety is still in jeopardy because of tired truckers.

Missouri truck accident lawyers know that truck driver fatigue is a significant factor in many tractor trailer versus car, motorcycle, or other auto accidents. When a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel while operating an 80,000-pound vehicle, there is no question about the damage and devastation such a situation has the potential to cause. In a recent survey, 20 percent of long-haul truck drivers admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. That statistic in itself should tell us how often these dangerous situations are created on our roadways.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a tired, sleepy or fatigued truck driver, please contact Page Law to get more information about your legal rights and options. Our personal injury law firm can immediately alert our truck accident team and begin taking the same action as the truck company and their insurance company. Failure to file your claim promptly may forever bar your claim. The statutes of limitations vary from state to state and could limit the amount of time that a personal injury victim has to file a lawsuit. Please do not let this happen to you. Call skilled attorney John Page today at (866) 620-5757 for a free consultation and case evaluation.

Source:http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5188/driving_their_lives_away/