Trucking safety has improved since hours-of-service rules were changed. (CourtesyIn an effort to answer questions over whether current hours-of-service regulations have hurt safety, the American Transportation Research Institute on May 19 released a report concluding that trucking safety has improved since 2004.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s first major rewrite of hours rules took effect on Jan. 4, 2004.
ATRI’s analysis of data from approximately 260 motor carriers representing 127,000 commercial drivers shows that the total collision rate dropped 11.7 percent from 2004 to 2009. Preventable collisions declined 30.6 percent, ATRI said.
Moreover, regulations governing drivers’ working hours seem to have little effect on safety anyway, ATRI concluded. Based on 2009 data, 87 percent of commercial motor vehicle crashes occurred within the first 8 hours of driving. ATRI also found that drivers generally used the 34-hour restart provision three or fewer times per month.
For a copy of ATRI’s report, click here.
