The thought of being involved in any vehicle accident is one no Indiana resident wants to consider. When that accident might involve a semi truck or other large commercial vehicle, the thought is even worse and understandably so due to the extreme size of these vehicles. Sadly, crashes do happen with these big rigs and sometimes they are caused by overly fatigued drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association's efforts to curb driver fatigue were hampered when the transportation industry lodged a tough battle surrouding some specific provisions in the guidelines. The rules were originally put in place in the summer of 2013 but by the end of 2014 two elements were put on hold. Finally, a recent ruling has indicated that these two provisions will remain not in effect as the FMCSA had wanted.

In short, drivers will be allowed to take rest periods lasting over only one night and not two during their work weeks. The FMCSA had originally requested that two subsequent periods of 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. must be included in a regular 34-hour break period for all truckers. The goal of this rule was to improve safety for the public as well as for drivers. Research was unable to prove that the longer break period improved trucker performance or safety. The decision is seen as a victory for the trucking industry.

When Indiana residents may be harmed by the decision recently made in a truck accident, talking with an attorney might help identify opportunities to seek compensation.

Source: Go By Truck, "FMCSA Drops 34 Hour Restart Provisions," March 13, 2017