Safety on the roads is received the highest priority for the government as the growing number of accidents because of fatigue of the truck drivers prove the significance of the issue. The government passed certain regulations for the long vehicle drivers to increase safety and reduce tiredness. However, it should be stated that a number of experts claim that these regulations are over-regulated and influence the business side and the trucking industry in a negative way. The primary purpose of the paper is to examine whether the directions distinctly reduce fatigue-related accidents and what impact they have on the business side of the issue.
Fatigue and sleepiness of the truck drivers seem to be an urgent problem. The fundamental point is that the drivers usually should get to the destination in the unrealistic time, and that is most commonly cut the time on sleep and breaks. Although, as the matter of fact, they reach the goal in the needed time, the side effect should also be taken into account. First and foremost, it should be highlighted that fatigue and sleepiness are considered to be the primary reason for the truck accidents (Hirshkowitz, 2013). Moreover, the occupation of the long vehicle driver influences the overall condition of health in an adverse way (Meng et al., 2015). The only way to decrease the index of fatigue-related accidents among the truck drivers was to announce new regulations that should be strictly followed not only by the drivers but the companies as well. The experts are sure that taxi and truck drivers experience chronic fatigue symptoms that should be treated in order not to harm in a significant way.
On the 1st of July 2013, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the United States stated that the new regulation regarding the truck drivers took the effect. The law was aimed to increase the safety on the highways and to reduce the fatigue related accidence. The government gave the truck companies one and a half year to adjust to new regulations of their service. The main objective was to provide truck drivers with enough rest. The truck drivers were supposed to work 70 hours a week. The reason for the reduction of the working hours was evident as the truck drivers usually suffer from the chronic diseases and have a higher risk of accidents because of fatigue.
According to the research of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, newly adopted regulations will prevent almost 1500 accidents every year and will have a positive effect on the reduction of the index regarding injuries and deaths on the road. New rules for the truck drivers were designed on the base of the scientific research. According to Anne Ferro, the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “the result is a fair and balanced approach that will result in an estimated $280 million in savings from fewer large truck crashes and $470 million in savings from improved driver health. Most importantly, it will save lives.” (New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today, 2013). Truck drivers are supposed to take a half-hour break in the first working hours and to sleep at least 34 hours a week. Some decisions were changed, and that is, the up-to-date rule suggests 14-hour working day with no more than 11-hour driving. The maximum working hours for the week are 82.
It should be highlighted that the fatigue of the truck drivers is considered to be a crucial issue for the North America as the recent researches provide the information that almost 35% of the truck accidents happen because the drivers did not have enough sleep or were working too much (Goel & Kok, 2011). The vast majority of companies tackled the fatigue-related issues. The opponents of the regulation claim that numerous breaks will decrease efficiency and will consequently lead to the improper performance. However, the recent researches in the field of the relation of the fatigue and crashes suggest that it is enough to have two breaks for half an hour to increase concentration and safety (Chen & Xie, 2014). Although some do not find tiredness the reason for reducing the working day, it should be stressed that long working time without the recovery causes chronic fatigue that consequently leads to the reduction of concentration and reaction. In most of the cases, drivers cannot evaluate the level of tiredness that can lead to severe consequences.
Some drivers claim that sometimes they are given unrealistic goals and to achieve them they violate the law (Goel & Kok, 2011). As the matter of fact, companies want to transport the goods as soon as possible, and that is, the regulation is considered to be an obstacle on the way. The organizations should adjust to the rules and change the working schedule to follow the law. The recent study proves that the regulation laws had a positive impact on the crash accidents and reduced the fatigue (Thompson, Newnam, & Stevenson, 2015). Although, it should be stated that the fact that some drivers violate the system does not give the opportunity to investigate the real situation. According to the recent findings, the fatigue is only one of the predominant factors that lead to the accidents. The economic factor and the system of payment (per trip or km) influence the driver’s behavior considerably (Thompson, Newnam, & Stevenson, 2015). Creating appropriate working conditions and reasonable schedule will not only eliminate the problem but will also improve the efficiency of the truck drivers. The companies should adjust to the regulations as it suggests positive changes. The implementation of the stated above rules that eliminate fatigue and sleepiness will beneficially affect the situation on highways and roads providing safety for the drivers and passengers.
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the index of the fatigue-related accidents was increasing every year, and the problem demanded an urgent solution. With the attention towards the scientific research and the opinion of experts, certain decisions were made to design the new system of the truck driving regulations. The new rules were created to decrease the number of fatigue-related accidents and to increase the safety not only of the truck-drivers but all the drivers on the highway. Apart from the advantageous side of the regulations, it should be stressed that the rules had a significant impact on the trucking industry and business. The government gave time for the companies to adjust to the new regulations. The law helped to fight the fatigue-related accidents. One should not forget that safety on the road should be the highest concern and the priority as following the rules can save lives.
References
Chen, C., & Xie, Y. (2014). The impacts of multiple rest-break periods on commercial truck driver’s crash risk. Journal of Safety Research, 48(1), 87-93.
Goel, A., & Kok, L. (2011). Truck Driver Scheduling in the United States. Transportation Science, 46(3), 317-326.
Hirshkowitz, M. (2013). Fatigue, Sleepiness, and Safety. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 8(2), 183-189.
Meng, F., Li, S., Cao, L., Peng, Q., Wang, C., & Zhang, W. (2015). Driving Fatigue in Professional Drivers: A Survey of Truck and Taxi Drivers. Traffic Injury Prevention, 16(5), 474-483.
New Hours-of-Service Safety Regulations to Reduce Truck Driver Fatigue Begin Today. (2013). Web.
Thompson, J., Newnam, S., & Stevenson, M. (2015). A model for exploring the relationship between payment structures, fatigue, crash risk, and regulatory response in a heavy-vehicle transport system. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 82(3), 204-215.