Higher Crash Risk in the 11th Hour
A new study suggests that the final hour of legal driving for truckers may well be the most dangerous. The study found that the risk of a crash increased for each hour a driver drove past six hours in a given day, with the greatest risk coming in the last, 11th hour, of permitted driving time. During the 11th hour drivers were nearly 3.5 times as likely to have an accident as they were in their first hour of driving.
The study was conducted by Paul Jovanis a professor of civil engineering at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute of Penn State University. The findings were released in a paper, “On the Relationship of Crash Risk and Driver Hours of Service,” presented at the International Truck and Bus Safety Security Symposium held in November 2005.
According to Professor Jovanis, the study “…shows that the crash risk is statistically similar for the first six hours of driving and then increases in significant steps thereafter.” For example the 9th hour of driving had an increased crash risk 1.77 times that of the first hour, while the 10th hour had an accident risk almost two and a half times greater than the first hour.
| Hours One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six |
Low Statistical Variation |
| Hour Nine |
1.77 x Greater Risk than First Hour |
| Hour Ten |
2.5 x Greater Risk than First Hour |
| Hour Eleven |
3.5 x Greater Risk than First Hour |
The findings of the current study paralleled those of an earlier one also conducted by Penn State which found that the crash risk was double in the 10th hour (the maximum when the study was done) compared to what it was in the first hour.
Other findings showed a strong association of crash risk and driving time (particularly in the 8th, 10th and 11th hours) for sleeper berth equipped trucks versus those without the berths. Professor Jovanis said further study in this area is warranted. The study also found that multi-day driving schedules, in excess of seven days, presented crash risk increases of similar magnitude to extended driving hours.
It should be noted that while the study was supported by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA, the conclusions are strictly those of its authors.
Researchers used operations and accident records from three large motor carriers as the statistical basis for the study. This was the first study to use data generated after the changes to the Hours of Service regulations went into effect in 2004. The changes to the Hours of Service Regulations raised the maximum driving time for a driver from 10 to 11 hours. The 10 hour limit had been in effect for more than 60 years prior to the 2004 change.
After a court battle over the new rules and a revision of certain provisions, the FMCSA reaffirmed the increase in the maximum driving time in October of this year. The agency had allowed for a period of so-called light enforcement of the new regulations so that drivers and motor carriers could adapt to the new requirements. That limited enforcement period ends on December 31, 2005 when full enforcement of the new regulations will begin.
Foley Services offers a full range of products to help you comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations. The new Hours of Service regulations are a highly audited area of the FMCSA regulations. Foley Services continues to develop new compliance products as the regulations change. Some products to assist in your compliance with these regulations are:
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