Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Dr. Ronald R. Knipling has questioned some of the research submitted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) as support of its hours of changes regulation revisions. Dr. Knipling used to work at the research division of the FMCSA and noted that the published study by researchers Pennsylvania State University was not of much use because of problems with the sample of drivers in the study. As well, Dr. Knipling noted that other factors involved in the crashes studies were not closely analyzed.
Dr. Knipling also found problems with a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. He also noted that the FMSCA’s reference to a study of Florida bus drivers in terms of hours of service regulations did not make sense, as the study might be useful in studying Florida bus accidents, but not interstate truck driving risks. Dr. Knipling has done his own research into fatigued driving and has found several risk factors that can contribute to truck accidents:
1) Fatigue associated with lack of sleep is associated with truck accidents. Fatigue related to work schedules and driving does not contribute as significantly to truck accidents, according to Dr. Knipling.
2) Fatigue associated with being awake for more than 16 hours at a time contributes to truck accidents.
3) Early morning driving contributes to car accidents. Due to increased exposure, Dr. Knipling also concluded that truck accidents are more likely during daytime driving.
The questions over research studies highlight some of the challenges of creating hours of service and other regulations to prevent trucking accidents. While the FMSCA works to prevent Florida truck accidents and accidents across the country, it can be difficult to determine which measures may be most effective in preventing such collisions.
If you have been in a Florida truck accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. With law offices in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood, the Flaxman Law Group is proud to have been able to successfully work with thousands of South Florida plaintiffs so far. Call us today to see what our decades of experience can do for your case.