With the holidays just around the corner, many residents of New Jersey and elsewhere are awaiting the delivery of their gifts so they can wrap them in time for the upcoming celebrations. In order to meet the high demands of consumers this time of year, truck companies and commercial trucks are essential. These large vehicles help with the shipment of goods and the transportation and delivery of packages; however, the abundance of these vehicles on the roadways poses great risks for a truck accident.
As a means to curb truck accidents, federal trucking regulations were put into effect. One component of these is hours of service. This designates how many hours a truck driver may drive in a set time period as well as required break times. While this regulation does help reduce the number of fatigued truck drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is considering changes to these regulations.
There are five major changes they seek to make, and it is believed that by allowing more flexibility, safety could be increased. These include changes to the break requirement, modifying the sleeper-berth exception, extending adverse driving condition exceptions and lengthening the maximum on-duty period for short-haul drivers.
While these changes could increase safety, they cannot rule out all truck accidents. When there is an hours of service violation, the effects can be severe and tragic. A truck accident could involve severe injuries. In some cases, victims may never fully recover from the harm suffered, living with a permanent disability and the need to receive ongoing medical care.
This can be an overwhelming experience. Thus, it is imperative that victims understand their rights when it comes to holding a truck driver or trucking company accountable for the damages suffered.