The Feds Did Something Right

i found this article and thought it would be good to share. http://thetrucker.com/News/Story/BREAKINGNEWSOIGsaysJuly12013restartprovisiondoesntshownetsafetybenefit

Overdrive Magazine - 34-hour restart study affirms less restrictive hours of service, buries 2013 regs

While the suspension hasn't been written up in the register as PERMANENT - AKA: an actual RULE CHANGE - and the study still has to be reviewed by congress - you can believe that Cho will not reinstate the suspended rule.

We kinda knew from the get-go, that requiring 34-hour restarts to occur between 1-5AM for both time periods was actually MORE DANGEROUS than it was safer. A driver that it used to running nights, having his "circadian rhythm" by being forced to have 2 overnight periods in a rest, increases the odds his next night shift will be done with them MORE FATIGUED by having to reset his "sleep cycle clock" back to days.

It also plays hell on scheduling - if his appointments require overnight driving.

Likewise - there was ZERO REASON for RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF RESTARTS you could do - to no more than one every 168 hours (week) was also dumber than a box of rocks. There is NO ACTUAL REASON (safety related or otherwise) to restrict how many restarts you can take in ANY GIVEN PERIOD.

The object of HOS is to assure drivers are provided the proper rest intervals so they can operate rested and not fatigued. If you are STUCK SITTING for 34 hours OFF DUTY - then there IS NO REASON WHY you shouldn't be able to reset your clock.

The "once a week restart" rule - was even dumber than the "two periods between 1 & 5AM" - and that one was REALLY DUMB.

Rick

+1 to Rick's post. Wouldn't it great if legislators actually listened to the people who are affected by their rulemaking? Hey, we can dream!

+1 to Rick's post. Wouldn't it great if legislators actually listened to the people who are affected by their rulemaking? Hey, we can dream!

Being a REGULATORY AGENCY - they don't necessarily run every reg by congress. It's typically when a reg runs afoul of the industry enough for congress to get involved - that something like this comes to pass.

We're hoping Secretary Cho will be a little more responsive to the REALITIES OF BUSINESS - and balance that with the need to maintain safe highways. It seemed like regulations and enhanced enforcement during the last administration, was geared more towards a "revenue stream" - than making things better for drivers and the motoring public.

Observe the fact that they STILL haven't come up with the BMI/OSA regs as a RULE - because they still haven't proven conclusively, the connection between the too. The "medical experts" that were involved with the proposed rulemaking - were stakeholders in the sleep diagnosis and treatment industry - they had A LOT TO GAIN by getting the rule(s) implemented.

I'd opine - with the anti-reg/pro-business attitude of the current administration, we might see more streamlining in DOT and less oppressive rule-making.

Rick