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Back in May, a tired semi driver rear ended and killed two people on I-35 in Lakeville. The Minnesota state patrol records indicate that the driver was ordered off the road following the collision. It is looking like a prime example of the dangers of tired drivers.

In these economic times, it might be easy to cut corners and drive the extra miles. But, what is the risk when such large vehicles are being moved down the highway? Past changes have made a difference according to the Minneapolis Tribune:

Since 2005, when the U.S. Department of Transportation reduced driving time and increased hours off between shifts, the number of people killed in big truck crashes nationwide shrank steadily, from 5,240 in 2005 to 4,229 in 2008. In Minnesota, the number of deaths from big truck crashes rose and fell from 2005 to 2009, averaging 73 per year.

This issue needs to be looked at because it’s a bad choice to drive tired and as my friend Brook Schuelke recently wrote:

it’s a choice that’s putting all of us at risk.

2 Comments

  1. Gravatar for Truckie D
    Truckie D

    Mike-

    A minor error in your post. The current HOS regulations actually *increased* the allowable number of driving hours, from 10 to 11. On-duty hours were decreased from 15 to 14, and the ability to "stop the clock" by going off-duty was removed. The mandatory rest period was increased from 8 hours to 10 hours. A provision was also added that resets a driver's 60 or 70 hour clock with 34 hours off. Theoretically, this would allow more work hours in a week, but in practical terms that rarely happens.

    As you've pointed out, safety results have improved since the new HOS regulations went into effect. My own personal experience is that I'm far more rested than I ever was under the prior regulations.

    Those who have read my posts here on IB, or read my blog (see http://truckied.wordpress.com/index-to-posts/ - check out the posts under "Jason Rivenburg's story) know that I've gone on and on about the lack of truck parking. This is a really serious problem, and it's not being addressed in any meaningful way. In fact, it's getting worse instead of better. Yet, it can be a major contributing factor to collisions, that is being ignored.

    td

  2. Mike Bryant

    I was actually thinking of your points about parking when I was reading the original story about what happened in this case. Thanks for taking the time to read and point out your driving angle on this issue.

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