[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/senator-durbin-calls-for-investigation-of-fmcsa\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/senator-durbin-calls-for-investigation-of-fmcsa\/","headline":"Senator Durbin Calls for Investigation of FMCSA","name":"Senator Durbin Calls for Investigation of FMCSA","description":"Following a deadly crash in January that killed an Illinois Tollway worker and injured a state trooper, senator Dick Durbin (D) issued a press release April 9 asking the Department of Transportation\u2019s inspector general to conduct an audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency that monitors trucking companies with\u00a0poor safety records....","datePublished":"2014-04-14","dateModified":"2024-05-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/#Person","name":"Rizk Law","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Rizk Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","width":278,"height":65}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","width":383,"height":427},"url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/senator-durbin-calls-for-investigation-of-fmcsa\/","about":["Auto Accident"],"wordCount":338,"articleBody":"Following a deadly crash in January that killed an Illinois Tollway worker and injured a state trooper, senator Dick Durbin (D) issued a press release April 9 asking the Department of Transportation\u2019s inspector general to conduct an audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency that monitors trucking companies with\u00a0poor safety records.Trucker Fatigue Causes CrashOn January 27, 2014, a driver for DND Transportation crashed into an Illinois State Police vehicle and a Tollway vehicle after both drivers had pulled over to assist another driver. FMCSA determined that the driver in the crash had been on the road for more than 30 hours with little to no sleep, in violation of federal law.\u00a0Finally, on April 3, FMCSA ordered the driver out of service and declared the company an imminent hazard.FMCSA Failed to Follow Up on DND\u2019s Low Safety RatingPrior to the accident, FMCSA had failed to follow up with an inquiry into\u00a0DND Transportation, which had a low safety rating for Unsafe Driving and Hours of Service Compliance. \u201cEarlier intervention and follow-through by FMCSA could have avoided this tragedy and we need a hard look into whether FMCSA is taking the proper steps to keep these accidents waiting to happen off the road,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cFMCSA should not wait until a crash occurs before following through on investigations they order.\u201d2013 Trucking Hours of Service RulingAfter a decade of litigation against the FMCSA by safety advocates, drivers, and plaintiff lawyers, in 2013 the agency ruled that drivers can only work 70 hours a week with one 30 minute break every 8 hours and a 34 hour break between work weeks. Sleep research indicates that working long hours daily and weekly causes chronic fatigue, slow reaction times, and reduced ability to assess situations, including a driver\u2019s own fatigue levels.A February report by the Government Accountability Office raised questions about whether FMCSA\u2019s current system \u201cis effectively identifying carriers at highest risk for crashing in the future, and plans to undertake a review of FMCSA\u2019s investigative practices."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Senator Durbin Calls for Investigation of FMCSA","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/senator-durbin-calls-for-investigation-of-fmcsa\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]