What features of the new HOS proposed rule would harm truck drivers and highway safety?
· Longer Driving Hours – The rule permits truck drivers, especially drivers in long-haul (Type 1) operations, to operate their rigs for 12 consecutive hours, 2 hours longer than permitted under the current rule. This increases the exposure time of commercial drivers to the risk of crashes, especially when they are close to the maximum permitted driving time, the point at which they are the most fatigued. · Increased Risk of Crashes – Commercial drivers and other shift workers have been shown in more than 30 years of research to suffer from lowered alertness, poorer performance, and an increase in errors and risk of deaths and injuries from longer consecutive working hours. Workers putting in very long hours also suffer from more serious health problems. They experience, among other things, both acute and chronic lack of sleep because very long working hours directly affect the ability of workers to achieve sufficient high-quality restorative sleep, even when there is available time to
