Increasing safety on the road with driver hours of service regulations

A driver’s on-duty and off-duty hours are limited by the regulations that govern driver hours of service. This legislation is an important part of the regulations that apply to the transportation industry. Intended to reduce the number and severity of highway collisions, the driver hours of service standards are a very serious matter. With driver hours of service regulations on both the federal and provincial levels, all carriers are sure to be influenced by the regulations. All drivers and carriers must therefore have a complete understanding of the regulations that govern driver hours of service in order to avoid violations and expensive fines.

The driver hours of service regulations were developed to reduce driver fatigue and ensure that drivers remain alert while driving. As driver fatigue can impair a driver the same as drugs or alcohol by slowing reaction times, decreasing awareness and impairing judgement, it is not something to be taken lightly. It is therefore evident that the driver hours of service regulations can increase safety on our highways.

The highways can be a dangerous place. There is no need to add to the existing dangers on the highways with fatigued drivers. This is why the driver hours of service regulations are so important to the safety of everyone on the highways.

Combat Driver Fatigue and Comply with Safety Standards

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The transportation industry does not operate on a fixed schedule and drivers are often called on to work long hours during a shift, which can lead to driver fatigue. In the transportation industry driver fatigue is a very real and serious issue. Though driver fatigue can make you a road hazard even if you’re not a commercial driver, it can be even more hazardous when the fatigued driver is in control of over 4,500 kgs of steel and potentially carrying hazardous goods. This is why Transport Canada put the commercial vehicle hours of service regulations into place. 

 

The National Safety Code Standard #9, which is the standard that regulates hours of service, was developed by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA). The CCMTA is the organization responsible for controlling the administration and regulation of motor vehicle transport and highway safety in Canada. The Hours of Service standard was developed to improve safety on Canada’s highways by limiting commercial driver’s hours to ensure they remain alert behind the wheel and to decrease the fatigue they may feel while on the job.

Transport Canada takes driver fatigue very seriously and hours of service infractions are dealt with severely. It is therefore important that carriers and their drivers work together to carefully monitor each driver’s hours and ensure compliance with the National Safety Code standards.