Drowsy drivers on Florida roads can pose a danger to the other drivers on the roads. When drivers are drowsy their reaction time slows down and if they close their eyes, they clearly will not know where they are going. It is important that drivers avoid driving drowsy for their own safety as well as the safety of the other drivers on the roads.
This is especially true for truck drivers. When large trucks are involved in truck accidents they typically cause significant damage to the other vehicles involved in the accident. To help prevent drowsy driving in truck drivers there are rules called hours of service rules that prevent truck drivers from driving too much in one day and also limit their driving in a one-week period of time.
Hours of service rules
Truck drivers can drive for a maximum of 11 hours in one day following an off-duty period of at least 10 hours. Those 11 hours must be completed in a 14-hour period of time after the 10 hours of being off duty. Truck drivers cannot drive past the 14th hour after a 10-hour break. Drivers also need to take a 30-minute break after driving for eight cumulative hours in a day.
In addition to the limits for driving during a day, there are also limits on driving hours in a week. Truck drivers can only drive 60 hours in a seven-day period of time or 70 hours in an eight-day period of time. Before they can start another seven- or eight-day period, they need to be off-duty for at least 34 hours.
These rules are designed to keep truck drivers fresh and ultimately to keep all drivers on Florida roads safe. However, truck drivers often have tight schedules to keep and pressures from their employers to make deliveries. This can lead to violations of these rules, drowsy truck drivers and accidents. The victims of these truck accidents can suffer significant injuries and be very costly. If the truck driver caused the accident, these victims may be entitled to compensation from the truck drivers though.