S.C. Truck Accident Lawyer Ken Harrell Hopes New Limits on Truckers’ Time Behind the Wheel Will Reduce Crashes Caused by Fatigue
North Charleston, S.C. (PRWEB) July 18, 2013 -- New federal regulations went into effect this month that limit the time a truck driver can be on the road to 70 hours a week, leading Charleston truck accident attorney Ken Harrell to express hope today that the new limit will reduce the number of accidents caused by fatigued truck drivers.
The new hours-of-service rules, which took effect July 1, cut the length of truck drivers’ workweeks from the previous maximum of 82 hours, according to a July 1 press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation entitled “New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today.”
“While we certainly hope truckers and trucking companies will adhere to the new rules, the fact remains that some will continue to bend or break the rules and put profit before safety,” said Harrell, managing partner of Joye Law Firm, a personal injury firm with offices in Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Clinton. “Tired truck drivers pose a serious danger on our highways. Regulations like these may help prevent accidents and keep people safe – if truckers and trucking companies follow them.”
The new regulations, the most significant changes in over a decade, not only shorten the workweek, but they also restrict how many nights truckers can be on the road and require rest breaks in the daytime. In a July 3 Wall Street Journal article, the Department of Transportation said the changes will reduce crashes due to having sleep-deprived truck drivers behind the wheel. The article is titled “Truckers Are Losing Sleep Over 70-Hour Work Limit.”
“Driving while drowsy is dangerous. Truck drivers, especially those with long hauls and overnight trips, need to make sure they are adequately rested when they are behind the wheel of those big rigs,” Harrell said. “These regulations are an important part of making sure truck drivers stay alert. Some trucking companies may argue they will lose profits. But profits don’t mean anything if someone loses their life in an accident caused by a fatigued truck driver.”
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which instituted the new rules, working long hours daily and weekly on an ongoing basis is associated with chronic fatigue, a high risk of crashes and a number of serious chronic health conditions in drivers. The FMCSA estimates that the new safety regulations will save 19 lives and prevent approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries each year.
The FMCSA has responsibility for enforcing the regulations. Trucking companies that allow drivers to exceed the limits by more than three hours can be fined $11,000 per offense, and drivers can face civil penalties of up to $2,750 per offense.
“We certainly hope federal authorities will enforce these hours-of-service regulations that aim to keep people safe,” Harrell said. “Making sure truck drivers are alert will prevent accidents. According to the FMCSA, fewer large truck crashes will also save money.”
Fatigued driving is a major contributor to crashes of large trucks such as tractor-trailers. Forty percent of large truck accidents are the result of driver fatigue, and 1 in 5 truckers admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel at least once during the past month, according to a study in the Journal of Public Health. Nearly 2,000 accidents involving heavy trucks happened on South Carolina’s roads in 2009, according to FMCSA figures, and roughly one third involved driver fatigue.
“Truck safety is of particular concern in the Charleston area, which sees a lot of truck traffic as truckers take loads to and from the port via Interstate 26,” Harrell said. “At Joye Law Firm, our attorneys will continue to protect the rights of those injured in truck accidents by conducting thorough investigations – including looking into whether fatigue played a role – and pursuing compensation on victims’ behalf.”
About Joye Law Firm
Since 1968, Joye Law Firm has been fighting to help people throughout South Carolina with their legal challenges in a broad range of practice areas, including truck accidents, car accidents, birth injury, brain injury, defective products, drug injury, nursing home abuse, Social Security disability, spinal cord injury, motorcycle accidents, workers’ compensation and wrongful death. The South Carolina law firm has offices in Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Clinton, but assists clients throughout the state. The firm’s Charleston-area office is located at Northgate Office Building, 5861 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406 (local phone (843) 554-3100). Its Myrtle Beach office is located at 8703 Highway 17 Bypass, Unit H, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575. The Clinton office is located at 509 North Broad Street, Clinton, SC 29325. Contact Joye Law Firm by calling (888) 324-3100 or filling out its online contact form.
Ken Harrell, Joye Law Firm, http://www.joyelawfirm.com/, (843) 554-3100, [email protected]
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