How Electronic Logbooks Can Reduce Truck Accidents

In the past, truckers have used paper logbooks to note the hours they drove and breaks they took during their shift. Since truckers could input any entries they wanted into the paper logbooks, there was reason to believe they were not always accurate. This could be due to several factors, including pressure from employers to meet arrival deadlines or due to truckers’ own financial incentives.

Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented an electronic logging device (ELD) rule, congressionally mandated as part of MAP-21. Learn more about this rule and how it may help reduce truck accidents.

How the ELD Rule Can Support Hours-of-Service Regulations

One benefit of the ELD rule is its likelihood to have a positive impact on the FMCSA’s hours-of-service regulations. The hours-of-service regulation mandates that truckers must take a 30-minute break after 8 consecutive hours of driving. This regulation is meant to reduce the number of drowsy truckers on the road and, in so doing, reduce truck crashes.

This ELD rule is likely to benefit the hours-of-service regulation because electronic logbooks are more difficult, if not impossible, to forge. This means that truckers will have a much harder time skipping mandated break periods without getting into trouble for it. Additionally, if they do decide to skip their breaks, then there is concrete evidence that can later be used against the trucker and their employer to prove negligence.

Injured in a Truck Crash? We’re Here to Help

Despite advances in technology, truck crashes still happen. If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck crash, our North Carolina personal injury attorneys are here to help. We have the experience and resources needed to take on large trucking companies and their insurers, and we can help you through this difficult time.

Our firm has office locations across North Carolina:

Call Lanier Law Group, P.A.at (855) 757-4204 to schedule a free consultation.