New Hours of Service regulations (HOS) rules are an effort to prevent accidents caused by driver fatigue. Regulations are put into effect to ensure that drivers take at least a 45 minutes break after driving 4.5 hours, and limiting maximum driving time in one week to 56 hours. Working conditions for truck drivers leads to an array of health risks to the driver and, more importantly, safety risks to the public.
Data and statistics indicate that between 2004 and 2009 there was a 33% decrease in the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks or buses. After that, between 2009 and 2013 fatal crashes increased by 20% and in 2014 there was a 5% decrease from 2013 resulting in 3,978 large trucks and buses that were involved in fatal crashes (FMCA, …show more content…
Drivers tend to have slower reaction times and a reduced capability to assess situations quickly, caused by work-hour fatigue and insufficient sleep (Foxx, 2015). Factors such as working extended or irregular hours, work stressors, weather, road conditions, and vehicle performance cause stress, disrupted sleep patterns, and lack of alertness. One study suggests that 82.7% of truckers reported working irregular shifts and additionally 63.8% of the drivers reported irregular daily shifts, thus all contributing to disruptive sleep patterns (Hege et al., 2015). The quality of sleep negatively impact driver’s job performance. In this same study, over 54.9% of drivers reported having nodded off, dozed off, or fallen asleep while driving. Additionally, lack of sleep can cause chronic sleep disorders such as stroke, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and psychiatric disorders (Hege et al., …show more content…
For that reason, drivers are required to use log books or electronic logging devices (ELD) to record the time spent behind the wheel, as well as resting. Moreover, drivers must log their activities, including fuels stops, tire checks, and en-route inspections. Not only will this assist in logging hours driving, but will also help to ensure that the driver takes a break, while inspecting vehicle, serving as an additional safety measure and means of forcing drivers to stop and make routine inspections, thereby allowing them to increase their physical activity to increase alertness and to reduce the tediousness from driving long hours on long
Data and statistics indicate that between 2004 and 2009 there was a 33% decrease in the number of fatal crashes involving large trucks or buses. After that, between 2009 and 2013 fatal crashes increased by 20% and in 2014 there was a 5% decrease from 2013 resulting in 3,978 large trucks and buses that were involved in fatal crashes (FMCA, …show more content…
Drivers tend to have slower reaction times and a reduced capability to assess situations quickly, caused by work-hour fatigue and insufficient sleep (Foxx, 2015). Factors such as working extended or irregular hours, work stressors, weather, road conditions, and vehicle performance cause stress, disrupted sleep patterns, and lack of alertness. One study suggests that 82.7% of truckers reported working irregular shifts and additionally 63.8% of the drivers reported irregular daily shifts, thus all contributing to disruptive sleep patterns (Hege et al., 2015). The quality of sleep negatively impact driver’s job performance. In this same study, over 54.9% of drivers reported having nodded off, dozed off, or fallen asleep while driving. Additionally, lack of sleep can cause chronic sleep disorders such as stroke, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and psychiatric disorders (Hege et al., …show more content…
For that reason, drivers are required to use log books or electronic logging devices (ELD) to record the time spent behind the wheel, as well as resting. Moreover, drivers must log their activities, including fuels stops, tire checks, and en-route inspections. Not only will this assist in logging hours driving, but will also help to ensure that the driver takes a break, while inspecting vehicle, serving as an additional safety measure and means of forcing drivers to stop and make routine inspections, thereby allowing them to increase their physical activity to increase alertness and to reduce the tediousness from driving long hours on long