The issue of truck driver fatigue gained media attention after the tragic truck crash that killed one man and critically injured several others, including actor Tracy Morgan. As a mother who lost her son in a preventable truck crash caused by a fatigued driver, I want to speak out about the importance of protecting our motorists from tired truckers.

Twenty years ago, my husband Steve and I founded Parents Against Tired Truckers after a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel of his 80,000 pound rig, killing four teenagers, including our son Jeff, and permanently injuring one more.

Each year, on average, 4,000 people are killed and 100,000 more are injured in truck crashes. The current hours of service rule was set in place to help prevent families from having to sustain the intolerably-high number of yearly fatalities and injuries.

Recently, the hours of service rule, particularly its 34- hour restart provision, has been under attack. Senator Collins has an amendment in the Senate that suspends the current safety limits on the 34-hour rest period, which increases truck driver work hours from its current average of 70 hours a week to more than 80 hours a week. This is equivalent to adding an additional work day.

One argument used against the current restart provision is that it places too many drivers on the road during the morning rush hour. However, the 34- hour restart does not prohibit nighttime drivers from continuing to drive at night. The current rule does not place restrictions on when a truck driver must drive or rest unless the driver exceeds the maximum weekly on-duty driving limits of 60 or 70 hours. In fact, the current rule poses no restriction on when the driver must take a break or when that driver must go back on the road after the break. That decision is completely up to the driver.

Daphne Izer
Lisbon