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Detailing truck driver hours-of-service regulations

On Behalf of | Jun 15, 2018 | Truck Accidents |

A truck accident in Georgia can leave you and your family devastated and demoralized, with a mountain of medical and repair bills waiting for you once you are able to get over the shock the so often accompanies such incidents. Several of the clients that we here at Sams, Larkin & Huff, LLP have worked with in the past have faced this same situation. Like you, they also wanted to know what may have caused their accidents. Like them, you might be even more perturbed than you currently are if you find out that your accident could have easily been avoided.

While truck drivers undergo rigorous training before they are allowed to get behind it wheel, it should be remembered that they are still subject to the same stresses and issues that you and other motorists must endure. One of those is fatigue. Indeed, drowsy driving has been a problem that has plagued the trucking industry. Federal regulations have been created to stop truckers from stretching themselves too thin. These include hours-of-service regulations, which (according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) include:

  •         Limiting diving shifts to 11 hours after having spent 10 hours off duty
  •         Limiting overall driving periods to 14 consecutive hours (again, after having spent 10 hours off duty)
  •         Only allowing drivers to drive between 60-70 hours over a period of 7-8 days
  •         Prohibiting drivers from driving more than 8 consecutive hours without taking a 30-minute break

Truckers are required to keep logs in which their driving times are to be documented. Such records could be used to prove that the driver who struck you was in violation of these requirements at the time if your accident. You can learn more about assigning liability after a truck accident by continuing to explore our site.

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