While it can feel difficult being told there are limits to our freedom and we cannot just do whatever we want whenever we want to, many rules and laws in a democratic society are there to keep us safe. That is certainly the case with hours of service regulations.
While a driver might think he has a different level of tolerance and can work well on less sleep than others, evidence over many years has proven that tired drivers get in more accidents. With truck accidents having the capacity to cause severe physical and bodily harm, the stakes are even higher for tired truck drivers. If you were injured in an accident with a truck, speak with a qualified Lake Zurich, IL personal injury lawyer to understand whether there is enough cause to examine whether hours of service regulations were violated.
What are Hours of Service?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces hours of service guidelines that place limits on the maximum number of hours commercial drivers are legally allowed to drive consecutively. There are specific rules about when truck drivers need to take breaks and how long they should be. If a truck driver violates hours of service and is then involved in a collision, this can have severe implications for their liability.