FMCSA Aims to Mandate Electronic Devices for Commercial Vehicles

Commercial vehicle drivers in North Carolina and across the country are facing significant regulatory changes. On top of recently revised hours of service rules, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has also proposed new requirements with regard to electronic on-board recorders. These recorders would replace the paper logs that truckers currently use to track their driving and resting hours.

The new nationwide regulations would require that truckers with a 10 percent or more violation rate for their hours of service (HOS) install the devices in their vehicles. The on-board recorders connect directly to the engine of vehicles, so the hours of service logged would not be able to be tampered with. These devices thus help to decrease the ability of truckers to violate HOS rules.

The recording devices compile very specific information related to the drivers and the commercial vehicles themselves. Such information includes dates, times of travel, distance traveled, hours traveled, and what the vehicle is actually transporting.

Even though the new mandates are for those truckers who have violated the hours of service rules, the new technology aims to advance safety, improve productivity and reduce costs in all commercial vehicles in addition to obtaining better compliance results. Many trucking companies are volunteering to adopt these measures for all of their drivers as a result.

The main goal of the recorder rule is to improve highway safety. In particular, the FMCSA is seeking to address the prevalence of fatigued truck drivers operating unsafely on the nation’s roads. The National Transportation Safety Board cities fatigue as the most common cause of accidents for large trucks.

Large commercial truck accidents can be extremely hazardous and are oftentimes the most devastating vehicle crashes on the highway. Motorists who are involved in a collision with a commercial vehicle may be severely injured or even killed. Victims of negligent truck drivers may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and lost wage benefits. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a commercial truck, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today to explore your options.