Kolman’s Korner: The safety and operational impacts from the 34-hour restart provisions
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released the results of a new analysis of the safety and operational impacts from the 34-hour restart provisions of the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. Among the findings was a “statistically significant” increase in truck crashes after the July 1, 2013, rule change implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In this latest study, ATRI analyzed an extensive truck GPS database to identify changes in truck travel by time-of-day and day of the week that may have occurred after the rule change. It also examined several years of pre- and post-July 1 federal truck crash data to quantify safety impacts resulting from the HOS rules change.
Truck traffic shift
The truck GPS data analysis identified a shift of truck traffic from nighttime to daytime and a shift of truck traffic away from the weekends to more congested weekdays, with the biggest decreases in truck activity occurring on Sunday nights.
The crash data analysis showed a statistically significant increase in truck crashes after the July 1, 2013 rule change, specifically with injury and towaway crashes, which would be expected, noted ATRI, based on the shifting of trucks to more congested weekday travel due to increased traffic exposure.
Explanations
ATRI’s report featured some possible explanations for the GPS and crash data findings as a result of operational changes the industry had to make post-July 1, 2013. Among these:
- Drivers abandoning use of the more restrictive 34-hour restart in favor of the rolling recap.
- Expanded use of weekend productivity by drivers, particularly Friday into early Saturday driving.
- Earlier weekend dispatches for drivers to avoid disruptions to early week (Monday-Tuesday) operations.
ATRI – the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization – is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation’s essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.