Truck drivers play a vital role in keeping our economy going. However, according to ALDOT, large trucks – including 18-wheelers – were responsible for 134 deaths in 2023. One of the major factors in truck accidents is fatigued driving.
To prevent fatigued driving, both federal and Alabama laws limit how many hours truck drivers can be on the road each day and week. This article will discuss these laws and how they might affect your Alabama trucking accident claim.
Federal Hours-of-Service (HOS) Rules
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the national standard for truck driver hours. These rules apply to most commercial truck drivers operating in interstate commerce (across state lines). Federal HOS regulations were designed to reduce truck driver fatigue by requiring regular rest breaks and limiting maximum drive time. Here’s a brief overview:
- 11-hour limit. Drivers can drive up to 11 hours in any day, but only after they’ve been off duty for 10 consecutive hours.
- 14-hour limit. The 11 hours of drivetime must occur within a 14-hour on-duty window.
- 30-minute break rule. All drivers must take a break of at least 30 minutes after eight cumulative hours of driving. These breaks do not stop or pause the 14-hour clock.
- 60/70-hour rule. Federal rules limit drivers to 60 total on-duty hours in seven consecutive days or 70 hours in eight
However, these federal rules do have some exceptions.
- Sleeper berths. Drivers with sleeper berths can split their 10-hour off-duty time into two periods as long as they spend at least seven hours in the sleeper cab and the remaining time off duty. A six-hour sleeping period is insufficient.
- Short hauls. Drivers operating within 150 air miles of and returning to the same location within 14 hours can drive for up to 11 hours without a 10-hour off-duty rest period.
- Adverse conditions. Drivers can extend their driving time by an additional two hours (for a daily total of 13) if there are truly unforeseeable weather conditions or other unexpected delays to allow safe driving.
Alabama HOS Rules for Intrastate Drivers
Federal rules apply to those 18-wheelers that cross state lines, but not all Alabama truck drivers will. Drivers who operate solely within Alabama’s borders are governed by Alabama’s HOS rules. In Alabama, the following rules apply:
- 12-hour limit: Drivers can be on the road for up to 12 hours after 10 consecutive off-duty hours.
- 15-hour limit: A driver may not drive at all after 15 on-duty hours.
- 70-hour limit: Drivers cannot exceed 70 on-duty hours over seven consecutive days.
Why HOS Rules Matter
Fatigue is a leading factor in commercial truck accidents. When truckers exceed legal driving hours, their reaction times slow, their judgment falters, and their risk of falling asleep at the wheel increases. This makes HOS violations a key factor in many Alabama personal injury lawsuits involving trucks.
Additionally, HOS violations can play a role in your personal injury case. To win your Alabama accident injury claim, you’ll need to prove negligence. Negligence is a legal term for a special type of carelessness. To prove negligence, you’ll need to show that you were injured. You’ll also need to prove that:
- The truck driver (or someone associated with them (e.g., their employer or the owner of the truck) had a duty to behave in a particular way,
- The truck driver did not behave in the particular way that they were required to, and
- The truck driver’s failure to take the required actions was directly responsible for your injuries.
The federal and Alabama regulations on HOS make this easier. These rules are clear proof that drivers must take regular breaks to prevent fatigue. Failure to follow these rules is powerful evidence of a failure to abide by these requirements. If you can connect the fatigued driving to your injuries, you could have a solid negligence case.
How a Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help When HOS Violations Cause an Accident
Federal and Alabama HOS rules limit truck driver hours in order to protect everyone on the road. Understanding these laws is crucial if you’ve been involved in a truck accident. An experienced Alabama truck accident lawyer knows these rules. Your attorney can also investigate whether the driver in your case broke the rules—and help you hold them accountable. Your lawyer can do this by:
- Obtaining “black box” (e.g., Electronic Logging Device “ELD” or Electronic Data Recorder) data and driver logs,
- Reviewing the driver’s delivery route and schedule,
- Interviewing witnesses and co-workers,
- Analyzing crash scene evidence and police reports, and
- Hiring accident reconstruction specialists.
If you’ve been involved in a trucking accident and need legal help, contact the Alabama truck accident lawyer at Collins Law, LLC. The Collins Law team has experience with 18-wheeler cases and other serious accidents. Our team has been praised for its work ethic and its warmth. We’ll fight for you every step of the way. To learn more about what we can do for you, call 205-588-1411 or use our website’s online scheduling tool
