Ferro testifies about hours-of-service regulations

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s updated hours-of-service regulations would prevent an estimated 1,400 crashes, 560 injuries and 19 fatalities each year, according to agency Administrator Anne S. Ferro.

In prepared testimony presented during a June 18 House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Ferro said the new regulations – which limit when drivers can “reset” their weekly maximum driving hours to once per week and mandate drivers take a 30-minute break during work shifts – were developed after years of peer-reviewed research into fatigue and driver safety.

The hearing panel, hosted by committee chairman Thomas E. Petri (R-WI), included industry and roadway safety representatives who argued the changes are too restrictive on how drivers allocate their rest time during the day and should be delayed until FMCSA completes a study on their safety impacts.

The regulations are scheduled to go into effect July 1 barring a ruling by an appeals court that convened March 15 to hear arguments against them.