Five organizations led by Public Citizen have filed an hours-of-service (HOS) petition in the District of Columbia Appeals Court, saying the rule is "flawed and should be changed to help reduce fatigue-related crashes."
The petition was filed February 27, according to information from Public Citizen and includes support from Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), Parents Against Tired Truckers (PATT), Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Public Citizen, PATT, CRASH, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Trauma Foundation, and the Teamsters jointly petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) September 2006 to reconsider its rule. After waiting five months without an answer from FMCSA, the groups withdrew their petition for reconsideration and filed with the court, Public Citizen said.
The newest petition argues that the newest attempt to establish HOS rules increases both the number of hours that truckers may drive without a break and the number of hours truckers may drive per week.
The group also argues that the new rule fails to require electronic onboard recorders.