Truck Drivers Are Limited In The Number Of Hours They May Drive

It is not uncommon for drivers to experience fatigue from time to time. A New Jersey resident may be in the middle of a long trip when they begin to feel exhaustion creep into their body and sleepiness pull on their eyes. When feelings of tiredness hit a driver, it can be a wise decision for them to stop, get some rest, and allow their body to recover so that it may get back behind the wheel at a later time.

However, the decision to stop and rest may be more difficult for a commercial truck driver. This is because drivers in this environment are expected to make deadlines and deliveries to ensure their customers get the goods they need on the schedules that they expect them. A truck driver may feel as though they cannot stop despite their exhaustion because stopping may mean that they will miss their window to drop off their load.

Because commercial drivers can be pushed to operate when it is not safe and when they are too tired to drive, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has implemented hours of service regulations to force them to stop. Hours of service regulations require certain drivers to take rest breaks and full sleep breaks during scheduled intervals to prevent them from becoming hazards to themselves and others while on the road.

Fatigue is a problem for truck drivers and a cause of accidents. Accidents involving tired truckers may give victims legal claims to pursue for the recovery of their damages. Personal injury attorneys can guide their clients through the process of beginning litigation based on truck accidents.