Safety groups file lawsuit opposing HOS rules

A number of safety groups, including Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen and the Truck Safety Coalition, believe the new truck driver hours of service regulations still do not fight the problem of tired truckers, and have filed a lawsuit in opposition to the new rule.

In the lawsuit, the groups ask for a review of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which failed to reduce the 11-hour limit on consecutive driving hours to 10, and also left a rule on off-duty time for drivers unaltered. With these two issues remaining unchanged, trucking safety remains virtually the same in the eyes of the group that filed the lawsuit.

"Given the FMCSA's mission to prevent truck-related deaths and injuries, it is appalling that the agency issued yet another rule that fails to adequately address truck driver fatigue and puts the public's safety at risk," said Henry Jasny, vice president and general counsel for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

According to Bloomberg, this is the second lawsuit this month that has challenged the new HOS rules for truckers.

The news source said the America Trucking Associations filed a lawsuit earlier this month to block the implementation of the new rules.

Safety groups file lawsuit opposing HOS rules

Monday, February 27th, 2012