The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was created to
protect people from the potential hazards posed by the trucking industry.
Commercial motor vehicles (CMV) can weigh anywhere from 10,000 to 80,000
pounds, so their drivers need to be incredibly irresponsible about how
they drive.
CMV drivers are required to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
before they can be hired, which tends to require more knowledge and skill
than the average passenger car license. If they do something to compromise
the health and safety of other drivers, say by drinking and driving, they
can lose this license incredibly easily.
The FMCSA monitors all CMV drivers for substance abuse in addition to keeping
track of how long they work. Regulations regarding their hours of service
(HOS) prevent drivers from working more than a certain number of hours
in a row. These regulations were put in place to help keep truck drivers
in line with their natural sleep cycles. If followed correctly, drivers
are less likely to experience fatigue when driving, which can be just
as dangerous as drunk driving.
For example, HOS rules prevent a property-carrying driver from working
more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The Department
of Transportation for each state enforce the HOS by checking the drivers’
logs and by checking the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) in their trucks.
If a CMV driver causes an accident because he or she violated the HOS,
anyone he or she harmed could seek compensation for his or her injuries.
If you or a loved one were injured by a negligent truck driver, talk to
one of our skilled
Kingston truck accident lawyers as soon as possible. We can help investigate the circumstances of the
crash to gather evidence on your behalf. Let us see how we can help you
recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage,
and pain and suffering.
Contact us
at (845) 340-4878 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case evaluation today.