DOT Study Said to Support Truck Driver Hour Limit Rule

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released a study this week that it claims supports the restart provision in FMCSA’s current hours-of-service rule as more effective at combating fatigue than the prior hours rule. The hours of service rule, which became effective July 1, requires any driver working long enough to need a restart to take off at least 34 consecutive hours that include two periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. FMCSA said the study found that drivers who began their work week with just one nighttime period of rest, as compared with the two nights in the updated 34-hour restart break, exhibited more lapses of attention, reported greater sleepiness and showed increased lane deviation in the morning, afternoon and at night. The study was mandated by MAP-21 which called for the agency to present scientific evidence that the restart provision helps truck drivers stay alert. Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), a longtime opponent of the restart change said, “This half-baked study only underscores the need to legislatively delay the rule and have the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct an independent analysis of the study so we can get a credible account of what this rule will truly mean for the safety of truckers, commuters and businesses.” Rep. Hanna has proposed legislation to repeal the restart changes until GAO can assess them.