More places for truckers to sleep may make highways safer, NTSB says

A Federal Highway Administration report suggests that tired truckers are pushing the limits of road safety

May 17, 2000
Web posted at: 7:58 p.m. EDT (2358 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Tired truckers who can't find a place to pull over to rest are pushing the limits of highway safety, according to a U.S. government report.

That finding was made by federal transportation officials who are looking for ways to help big rig drivers be able to stop and get their newly mandated rest periods.

"We now know that fatigue is one of the silent killers on our highways that we need to address and do a better job both with commercial operation of vehicles as well as private operation of vehicles," said National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall.

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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 5,000 fatalities involving crashes with large trucks occurred in 1999.

Research by the NHTSA suggests that truck driver fatigue may be a contributing factor in as many as 30 percent to 40 percent of all heavy truck accidents.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced new regulations requiring 10-12 hours of rest between long-haul driving shifts.

The new rules would require drivers of big rigs to take mandatory rests.

But truckers say that one problem may be a lack of rest areas. A 1996 report done by the trucking industry for the Federal Highway Administration showed that eight in 10 highway rest stops had little room for exhausted truckers -- parking areas were full and trucks were even parked on highway ramps overnight.

"It gets pretty rough sometimes, especially late at night," said trucker Marvin Johnson. "All the rest areas are filled up and they don't want you parking on the side."

Drivers unable to find a space are forced to stay on the road, setting up a potentially hazardous situation.

Additionally, an estimated 42 percent of rest areas put limits on how long truckers can stay, and states such as Virginia limit truckers' stops in public rest areas to two hours.

"If it's two, three o'clock in the morning I don't care who it is," said trucker Bruce Theriault. "After two hours of sleep you're not really awake."

Former NTSB member Susan Coughlin, now with the American Trucker Associations, said government assistance is needed to create more rest stops.

"I think it's a matter of the federal government dedicating the funding to creating more rest stops. The land is available. But there is an expense involved."

Organizations representing state governments said using public money to help the private trucking industry is misguided.

Dewey Clower, of the National Association of Truck Stop Owners, agreed.

"It is our belief that sufficient places exist and that it would really take a bit of planning on the part of the professional driver to find that parking space."

Federal money from gas taxes would pay for building new rest areas. States would pay for their upkeep.

The NTSB recommended that the Federal Highway Administration ask Congress to lift the ban against private development of rest area facilities on interstate highways in areas where there is a shortage of parking available for trucks.

The agency also wants all trucking groups and government agencies to cooperate in the creation of a comprehensive guide on the locations of all truck parking areas -- both public and private -- and the number of spaces available.

CNN correspondent Kate Snow contributed to this report.

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National Transportation Safety Board
  •  Abstract: Truck parking Areas
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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