Electronic Logbooks Could Reduce Florida Truck Crashes And Improve Roadway Safety

When a truck driver sits behind the wheel of his big rig for too many hours, he may suffer from drowsy driving. Because driving while fatigued is a real problem facing truck drivers on our nation’s roadways, there are hours-of-service rules in place that govern the amount of hours a commercial truck driver can work.

Because many truck drivers and trucking companies aren’t in compliance with the new rules, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a proposal that would require interstate commercial truck and bus companies to use electronic logbooks.

The proposal would take away the need for truck drivers to keep a paper record of their hours. With the use of electronic logbooks, the quality of data will be improved as well as the efficiency within the trucking industry. Not only will this proposal help ease a truck driver’s burden, but it should improve roadway safety.

Because truck drivers may get pushed by their trucking companies to drive longer, or they want to reach their destination faster, sometimes drivers cheat when logging their time on the road. By having electronic on-board logbooks, it will be difficult for truckers to misrepresent their time on the road. As a result, truck drivers will be forced to comply with the hours-of-service rules, which will help reduce Florida truck crashes that are caused by fatigued drivers. In fact, an analysis by FMCSA shows this new proposal would result in:

• Preventing 20 fatalities per year
• Reducing 434 crash-related injuries annually

If electronic logbooks get installed in commercial interstate trucks, the FMCSA believes drowsy driving will be reduced as will the number of fatigue-related trucking accidents. Because the rule has not become law as of yet, there are still many truck drivers on the road driving too many hours.

If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in a South Florida truck accident, contact the Law Office of David Benenfeld to speak with a skilled Broward County accident attorney at (561) 960-5515(561) 960-5515 in a free case consultation today.