Court Asked To Stop Extension Of Truck Drivers' Hours

December 20, 2007 10:21 p.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Truck Safety Coalition on Thursday petitioned a federal court to overturn a new ruling that extends driving for truckers another hour before they are required to take a break.

The move comes a day after a mother of one victim of a fatal accident involving a truck driver who fell asleep testified in Congress that more than 5,000 fatalities and over 110,000 injuries annually are caused by truck crashes.

According to Daphne Izer, founder of Parents Against Tired Truckers, the new ruling is "unsafe and illegal," saying that after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, a person's response speeds are as much as 50 percent slower.

The Transportation Department's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has put into place an "interim final rule" that places a daily limit at 11 hours a day and up to 70 hours a week depending on whether the trips are long-haul or local, CNN reported.

"We have the data to indicate it is safe," U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

The rule "allows truckers to drive for 30 percent longer each week, putting families at higher risk of an accident involving a tired truck driver," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey.