When people in New Jersey think about dangerous driving habits, they may think about drinking and driving or using phones while driving. Those are certainly dangerous activities, but another dangerous activity that people may not immediately think about is drowsy driving. When people are too tired it is hard to focus on the road and people may even close their eyes or dose off for a moment which is very dangerous.
Since drowsy driving is such a dangerous activity, it is especially important that truck drivers are not drowsy while driving. Large trucks can cause significant damage and serious injuries since they are so much larger than most other vehicles on the road. Truck drivers need to take even more precautions to prevent truck accidents from occurring. To help ensure truck drivers are not drowsy, there are federal regulations that limit the amount of time drivers can drive during the day and mandate breaks.
Hours of Service regulations
These are known as hours of service regulations. According to the regulations, truck drivers may only drive a maximum of 11 hours in a day, which must come after taking at least 10 hours off. Those 11 hours must be completed within 14 hours after taking the 10 hour break as well. They are also required to take at least a 30 minute break after driving for eight hours.
There are also limits on how many hours they can drive in a week. They are allowed to be on duty for a maximum of 60 hours per seven day period or 70 hours per eight day period of time. Once they hit these limits, drivers must take at least 34 hours off.
These regulations are designed to ensure that truck drivers in New Jersey are well rested. Not all drivers follow these regulations though. Many times they have tight schedules and strong demands from their employers. If they cause an accident during a period of time when they should not be driving, they may be required to compensate the victims of the accident though. Experienced attorneys understand the devastation of truck accidents and may be a useful resource.