New Federal Requirement Mandates Electronic Records for Truckers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has introduced a new rule requiring commercial truck and bus drivers to electronically record their hours on the road. The requirement is a big change for the industry, which has kept paper logs since the 1930s. The new system will make it harder to falsify logs, but it is, at heart, designed to prevent fatigued drivers from being on the road when they are not supposed to be.

The majority of accidents are the result of driver error, and the majority of driver error is the result of distracted driving. Fatigue plays a large role in distraction, dulling reaction times and attention to the task at hand. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded 3,921 deaths and 104,000 injuries resulting from commercial trucks in 2012. It is a big problem.

Why is fatigue so dangerous?

Driver fatigue has a number of serious ramifications, especially when the vehicle in question can weigh as much as 80,000lbs. According to Optalert, a company that produces early-warning technology to prevent accidents, fatigue can result in:

• Trouble focusing, or narrowing of attention
• Head nodding or inability to keep the eyes open
• Not remembering the last few minutes
• Poor judgment, slower reaction time
• Daydreaming and wandering thoughts
• Constant yawning
• Failure to maintain lane of travel

A recent accident in Indiana made headlines and highlighted the importance of driver attention on the road. On Christmas Day last year, 23-year-old Mary Lambright drove her tractor-trailer across a historic cast-iron bridge in Paoli, Indiana. According to Overdrive Online, the bridge had a posted weight limit of 6 tons; her rig was carrying more than 21 tons of bottled water.

Not only was the bridge incapable of sustaining the weight, but the posted height was too short for her rig to fit under. The bridge ripped off cart of the trailer before collapsing under the weight. Lambright was unharmed. The accident occurred at the very end of her run, after she missed the proper exit for her destination. The missed warning signs and lack of judgment are indicators of fatigue.

With new technology comes a better ability to prevent accidents, but the new rule from the FMCSA won’t go into effect until February, and even then carriers will have an additional two years to comply. In the meantime, families are devastated every day by truck accidents. If you or someone you know has been injured in a commercial truck accident, the experienced and compassionate South Carolina truck accident attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips LLC can help get you the compensation you deserve. Visit our offices in Anderson, Columbia, Rock Hill, Sumter, or Georgetown, or contact us today for a free consultation. We serve all of South Carolina.