Rockford Truck Accident Attorney Shares New Regulations Aimed at Reducing Trucker Fatigue in Illinois

You are driving down the Interstate in Illinois with your children safely strapped into the back seat. As you start up the next hill you see a massive truck swerving towards you from the other direction. As the other vehicles move to the side, you do the same to avoid a collision. The 80,000 pound semi-truck narrowly misses your vehicle, but hits another before jackknifing. You later find out that the collision was due to truck driver fatigue.

Unfortunately, this scary scenario is common on the roadways throughout Illinois. Many truck drivers work long hours to make extra money. The more deliveries a truck driver makes, the bigger the paycheck. Long hours on the road take a toll and result in a lack of concentration, lack of focus, and decreased reaction time. The result is often a serious motor vehicle accident—our Rockford truck accident attorneys have witnessed the devastating effects that an oversized truck can have on a car or SUV.

In response to truck driver fatigue, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is instituting new Hours-of-Service Regulations with a compliance date of July 1, 2013. The new regulations include, in part:

• Truck drivers must have 10 consecutive hours off duty and then may drive for up to 11 hours per day. Once they have been on duty for 14 consecutive hours, they may not drive.
• Truck drivers may not drive after 60 hours in seven consecutive days or 70 hours in eight consecutive days.
• Truck drivers with an approved sleeper berth must spend eight consecutive hours in the sleeper berth as well as two consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth or off duty.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck collision in Northern Illinois, call The Fisk & Monteleone Law Firm to speak with a Rockford truck accident lawyer. Our experienced attorneys are here to discuss your case and help you to obtain the compensation you deserve. Call our office toll free at 815-962–0044 for a free consultation.