Attorneys Robert, David and James Cody

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Might you encounter drowsy truck drivers on the road?

On Behalf of | Mar 18, 2021 | Firm News |

Past posts on this blog described the potential dangers you and others may face from drowsy drivers on Minnesota’s roads. If the thought of a person falling asleep at the wheel of their car frightens you, one can only imagine the terror that a drowsy truck driver may invoke. 

The trouble is that truck drivers may be particularly susceptible to fatigue given the many hours they spend on the road. Federal lawmakers understand this, however, and thus have taken steps to ensure that such drivers remain alert and attentive at the wheel. 

Hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers

These steps include enacting laws that regulate the number of hours a truck driver can work. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, these regulations include: 

  • A driver driving no more than 11 hours after taking 10 consecutive hours off duty 
  • A driver not working beyond the fourteenth hour after taking 10 consecutive hours off duty 
  • A driver taking at least a 30-minute break for every eight hours behind the wheel 
  • A driver only working 60-70 hours during a 7-8 day work week 

Did drowsy driving play a role in your accident?

How are you to tell if a violation of any of the aforementioned regulations (and any resultant fatigue) played a role in your accident? After all, you might rightly assume that a driver would not admit to committing such a violation in the immediate aftermath of a collision. The law requires, however, that truck drivers maintain logs detailing their work hours. Such logs might indicate that the driver that hit you did indeed violate hours-of-service rules. Even a driver not being up-to-date with those records might serve as evidence of drowsiness having a hand on your truck accident. 

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