June 16, 2011 (Press-News.org) On December 29, 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed revisions to regulations regarding the hours of service (HOS) for property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. This new rule was prompted by the federal agency's concerns about the impact of fatigued drivers on overall highway safety. However, the proposed regulations has prompted opponents to lobby the White House to maintain the current rule and abandon any attempt to change it.
Under the proposed changes, the FMSCA favors a 10-hour service time limit on commercial drivers, and would incorporate sleeper-berth periods. However, the rules would continue the requirement that commercial vehicle operators complete driving work within a 14 hour work window, which includes an hour break. Daily shifts could be extended, on a limited basis, to accommodate non-driving duty time, such as loading, unloading and parking time. The FMSCA has until July 26, 2011 to publish its new HOS rules. If the proposed rules go into effect without amendments, truck drivers and their companies face stiff penalties for violations. A driver could be fined up to $ 2,750 for each HOS violation, while his employer could face up to $ 11,000 for each HOS violation.
Members of the trucking industry, which include the American Trucking Association (ATA) and National Private Truck Council (NPTC), opposed the proposed rule changes. Citing improvements in driver safety and declines in commercial truck related fatalities and injuries, the industry believes that the new changes are unnecessary and would increase traffic congestion and crash risks, increase product costs, and increase operation costs.
The FMSCA, as well as other federal agencies, are mandated to make our nation's highways safer. With commercial trucks and their drivers continuing to create significant safety risks for all who share our nation's roads, the federal government must make sweeping regulatory changes and hold trucking companies and their drivers accountable. For those injured by the negligence of a commercial vehicle operator, seeking the advice of an experienced attorney can help protect your legal rights and financial health.
Article provided by Dollar, Burns & Becker, L.C.
Visit us at www.dollar-law.com
Proposed Hours of Service Regulations for Commercial Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed revisions to regulations regarding the hours of service (HOS) for property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Learn what members of the trucking industry are saying about the proposed changes.
2011-06-16
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Debtors Filing Bankruptcy Have Rights Under HAMP
2011-06-16
Last June, new guidelines took effect that afforded homeowners greater protection in keeping their homes. The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) now allows homeowners to seek a modification even though they have filed for bankruptcy protection. Prior to this change, the mortgage company could deny the modification if the Chapter 7 debtor did not reaffirm the mortgage debt. This was a common fate for people who had lost their jobs and were unable to make their previous payments. HAMP now gives those seeking bankruptcy a way to stay in their home while making amends. ...
Video Hearings Being Used By SSA to Help With Case Backlog
2011-06-16
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has been plagued by a backlog for disability hearings for the last half dozen years. Underfunding and understaffing are part of the cause.
Every year from 1998 through 2007, the President's Budget requested less than the Commissioner's requested budget, and Congress appropriated even less than the President's request.
The number of pending cases has increased dramatically since 1999, reaching an all-time record high of 768,540 cases in December 2008.
Through February 2009, the number dropped slightly to 765,527, but has ...
DUI Apps for Smartphones Controversial
2011-06-16
With a name like "DUI Dodger," you just know there's going to be a controversy.
Campaigns against drunk driving have worked for years to send the message "don't drink and drive." Thousands of people are arrested every year for driving drunk.
DUI Checkpoints
One of the preferred methods of enforcement used by police is the DUI or sobriety checkpoints. The checkpoint allows police to funnel all traffic on a given road past officers, who screen for inebriated drivers.
The constitutionality of these checkpoints was challenged back in the early ...
OSHA's Protection Program for Whistleblower Employees
2011-06-16
According to the National Business Ethics Survey, 56 percent of employees claim to have witnessed serious workplace violations, but only half of these workers take steps to report them. While reporting workplace violations may distress some employees, the Whistleblower Protection Act and protection program, administered by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), protects workers who participate in various reporting activities against employers who violate industry regulations, standards or ethics.
Whistleblowers
Whistleblowers play a key role in ...
Researchers predict record Gulf of Mexico 'dead zone' due to Mississippi River flooding
2011-06-16
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Extreme flooding of the Mississippi River this spring is expected to result in the largest Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" on record, according to a University of Michigan aquatic ecologist and his colleagues.
The 2011 forecast, released today by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), calls for a Gulf dead zone of between 8,500 and 9,421 square miles, an area roughly the size of New Hampshire.
The most likely 2011 scenario, according to U-M's Donald Scavia, is a Gulf dead zone of at least 8,500 square miles, surpassing the current ...
WMS issues important new practice guidelines for frostbite prevention and treatment
2011-06-16
Philadelphia, PA, June 14, 2011 – Frostbite can be a minor injury or a life-threatening condition. In the June issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, a panel of experts has published evidence-based practice guidelines issued by the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) for the prevention and treatment of frostbite to guide clinicians and disseminate knowledge about best practices.
"Frostbite can be a devastating injury that afflicts many people who are in the prime of their lives," commented Scott McIntosh, MD, MPH, lead author, member of the WMS Board of Directors, ...
Study examines link between teen sex and divorce rate
2011-06-16
A University of Iowa study found that women who make their sexual debut as young teens are more likely to divorce, especially if "the first time" was unwanted, or if she had mixed feelings about it.
Published in the April issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family, the analysis found that 31 percent of women who had sex for the first time as teens divorced within five years, and 47 percent divorced within 10 years. The divorce rate for women who delayed sex until adulthood was far lower: 15 percent at five years, and 27 percent at 10 years.
Author Anthony Paik, associate ...
How Upcoming Litigation Cost Reform Will Affect Personal Injury Law in the UK
2011-06-16
Lord Justice Jackson's proposed litigation cost reforms are likely to have a far ranging impact on personal injury law in the UK.
At present the losing party in a personal injury claim will usually pay both the relevant insurance costs and the success fee that a personal injury solicitor can charge in a successful no-win, no-fee claim. The successful claimant may also keep 100% of the damages awarded if agreed with their solicitor.
In a recent survey carried out by the lobbying group Access to Justice, 77% of personal injury claimants admitted that they would not ...
Coming to TV screens of the future: A sense of smell
2011-06-16
Today's television programs are designed to trigger your emotions and your mind through your senses of sound and sight. But what if they could trigger a few more? What if you could smell or taste the cheesy slices of pizza being eaten by your favorite characters on TV? Is it possible? Would audiences enjoy the experience? Would advertisers jump on the opportunity to reach consumers in a new way?
These questions formed the basis of a two year experiment by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, conducted in collaboration with Samsung Advanced Institute ...
Sugar-binding protein may play a role in HIV infection
2011-06-16
Though it is known that PDI inhibitors can prevent HIV infection, just how this happens has remained a mystery. And though it has been known that PDI, which normally lives inside the cell, can become entrapped on the cell's surface, it has not been understood how this happens.
Now, in a new study, UCLA researchers report that a sugar-binding protein called galectin-9 traps PDI on T-cells' surface, making them more susceptible to HIV infection.
IMPACT:
The findings could lead researchers to a potential new target for anti-HIV therapeutics, such ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Climate intervention may not be enough to save coffee, chocolate and wine, new study finds
Advanced disease modelling shows some gut bacteria can spread as rapidly as viruses
Depletion of Ukraine’s soils threatens long-term global food security
Hornets in town: How top predators coexist
Transgender women do not have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke
Unexpectedly high concentrations of forever chemicals found in dead sea otters
Stress hormones silence key brain genes through chromatin-bound RNAs, study reveals
Groundbreaking review reveals how gut microbiota influences sleep disorders through the brain-gut axis
Breakthrough catalyst turns carbon dioxide into essential ingredient for clean fuels
New survey reveals men would rather sit in traffic than talk about prostate health
Casual teachers left behind: New study calls for better induction and support in schools
Adapting to change is the real key to unlocking GenAI’s potential, ECU research shows
How algae help corals bounce back after bleaching
Decoding sepsis: Unraveling key signaling pathways for targeted therapies
Lithium‑ion dynamic interface engineering of nano‑charged composite polymer electrolytes for solid‑state lithium‑metal batteries
Personalised care key to easing pain for people with Parkinson’s
UV light holds promise for energy-efficient desalination
Scientists discover new way to shape what a stem cell becomes
Global move towards plant-based diets could reshape farming jobs and reduce labor costs worldwide, Oxford study finds
New framework helps balance conservation and development in cold regions
Tiny iron minerals hold the key to breaking down plastic additives
New study reveals source of rain is major factor behind drought risks for farmers
A faster problem-solving tool that guarantees feasibility
Smartphones can monitor patients with neuromuscular diseases
Biomaterial vaccines to make implanted orthopedic devices safer
Semaglutide, tirzepatide, and dulaglutide have similar gastrointestinal safety profiles in clinical settings
Neural implant smaller than salt grain wirelessly tracks brain
Large brains require warm bodies and big offspring
Team’s biosensor technology may lead to breath test for lung cancer
Remote patient monitoring boosts primary care revenue and care capacity
[Press-News.org] Proposed Hours of Service Regulations for Commercial DriversThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed revisions to regulations regarding the hours of service (HOS) for property-carrying commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. Learn what members of the trucking industry are saying about the proposed changes.