A recent study released on April 29 by the American Transportation Research Institue (ATRI), says the number of truck-involved crashes and injuries increased  in the year and a half after the more restrictive 2013 hours-of-service rules were in effect.
According to ATRI, drivers shifted their driving pattern and schedules in response to the rule and more drivers were opertaing during heavy traffic daytime hours as opposed to nights and weekends, which was a goal in implementing the 2013 rule. Although the increase in crashes and tow-aways were a result, according to the study.
The 2013 rule required that a driver’s 34-hour  weekly restart, if taken, include two 1 a.m. – 5 a.m. periods. The use of the restart was also limited to once every 7 days.
Lawmakers are looking at how they can modify the rule in the future.
