Truckers all throughout the United States are not paid by hours worked, but by miles travelled. This means that a trucker that sacrifices sleep and avoids breaks may be able to reach his or her desired location hours ahead of schedule and start on another journey, making more money than a person who frequently stops to rest on the grueling drive. Yet the government recently recognized that discouraging breaks is dangerous and causes more truck accidents on American highways every single year.

This is why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, and other federal safety programs have come together to create new regulations for commercial truckers. Unfortunately, many workers in the trucking business were not so supportive of the laws, saying that they will result in lower pay for drivers everywhere. The Department of Transportation says that the rules will force drivers to take longer breaks and cut back on work hours behind the wheel. As a result, the government believes the trucking industry will be safer and more reliable.

Regulations implemented on July 1^st, 2013 demand that all truckers now stick to a schedule which ensures that they will take at least a 30-minute break within the first eight hours of driving. The new regulations also demand that the maximum workweek for truckers be cut. Before Monday, truckers could drive a maximum of 82 hours per week and receive payment. Now, they can only drive from a maximum of 70. That 70 hour workweek will last until a driver decides to "restart" the week with a mandatory 34-hour break once a week.

These rules were developed by the Obama administration and are supposed to make U.S. highways safer by reducing the number of drowsy driving accidents and fatalities every year. Research shows that many truck drivers are involved in horrific and even fatal accidents after dozing off behind the wheel because they failed to take the rest that was required of them. The new regulations also include a safety rating system that will be used for the trucking industry. This way, shipping companies can review this rating system when they choose a new carrier to transport their products. The Obama Administration hopes that the accountability of a rating system will help truckers to adhere to the new laws. This will then lead to giving them more business.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says that the updated hours of service rules make three common sense and data-driven chances to increase the safety of the roadways. Unfortunately, the trucking industry isn't so keen on the new rules. Truckers and trucking companies are suing the government to have the rules reversed, and arguing that this will mean more highway traffic and high costs of shopping for consumers all throughout the United States. The industry also argues that they are already working to reduce accidents without the assistance of the government's new laws. In recent years, the number of people killed in truck accidents has fallen by 30 percent. In 2000, 5,282 people were killed. In 2011, only about 4,000 people died in truck accidents.

Still, the Federal Carrier Motor Safety Administration argues that the new laws will probably prevent about 1,400 crashes per year and will prevent 560 injuries and 19 deaths. Recent trucking accidents show that many of the drivers involved have been working lengthy hours in order to get to their destination ahead of schedule. Instead, many of these truckers never reach their destination because of their exhaustion. If you want more information about trucking accidents or if you were involved in a trucking accident and want to seek compensation, then talk to an attorney today!