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As a Los Angeles Accident Attorney I feel this ruling is extremely important for the safety of our freeways.

The Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have agreed to change truck drivers’ hours-of-service regulations. This is a move by the Obama Administration to settle a lawsuit brought by several consumer safety advocacy groups including Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Truck Safety Coalition and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The action was filed after a ruling issued by the Bush administration dramatically expanded driving and working hours by allowing truckers to drive up to 11 consecutive hours instead of 10 per shift. That rule also cut off-duty rest and recovery time at the end of the week from a full weekend of 50 or more hours to as little as 34 hours.

This is an important ruling because so many accidents on the road involving big rigs are caused when the driver is under the influence of drugs (to stay awake and alert) or if they fall asleep at the wheel caused by lack of sleep.