Administrative Law
Court Bars Longer Trucker Hours
A federal appeals court has struck down a rule that allowed truckers to drive 11 consecutive hours a day.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled yesterday that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration failed to provide an adequate explanation for the 2005 rule, the Associated Press reports. Previously, truckers were limited to 10 hours of driving a day.
The court said the agency did not take into account its own study, which found a substantially higher risk of accidents caused by fatigue during the extra driving time, the New York Times reports.
The decision (PDF) was the third appellate ruling in the last three years to criticize agency rules.
