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Rest is a requirement for truck drivers in North Carolina

On Behalf of | Apr 4, 2019 | Trucking Accidents |

Everyone knows that driving while distracted or drunk is dangerous. Items like cellphones or the effects of intoxication can significantly alter the attention and focus that drivers give to the roads they are traveling on. In North Carolina drivers can be penalized for engaging in these and other dangerous driving practices.

Drowsy driving, however, is also a danger. Many people, though, still do it regularly. During early morning commutes or long road trips, Charlotte drivers may push the boundaries of their wakefulness to get to where they want to go.

One group of drivers is effectively prohibited from driving while tired. This group includes the men and women who operate large commercial vehicles on American roads. Through regulations imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, certain classes of commercial drivers are prohibited from driving for long periods of time without taking breaks to rest.

The rest requirements for passenger-hauling and non-passenger-hauling drivers are different. Drivers who operate buses and other vehicles that carry people must take more breaks to ensure that they are rested when they drive. Semi-truck drivers and others who operate cargo-carrying loads must stop as well so that their exhaustion does not lead to dangerous collisions with other drivers.

An accident caused by a fatigued truck driver may cause injuries to others resulting in damages that may be compensable. Litigation based on trucking accidents can be complex but can also yield awards of damages that can help victims get back on their feet. Those who have suffered losses in these difficult accidents may take action, and work with personal injury attorneys to pursue their pending legal claims.