PRESS RELEASE
AAA Announces Supprt for Regulations to Fight Commercial-Driver Fatigue
19 February 1997
AAA Supports New Regulations To Fight Commercial-Driver FatigueORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 19 -- AAA said today it supports the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) efforts to update the 60-year-old hours-of-service regulation for commercial drivers and called for innovative solutions to the issue of commercial-driver fatigue. "The current regulations for commercial-driver hours of service are outdated and need revision," said Mark L. Edwards, managing director of AAA Traffic Safety. "By basing new rules on current scientific data and using modern technology to monitor driver performance, we can improve safety for everyone on the highway." In calling for innovative regulations, AAA cited FHWA research that found many factors -- including the time of day -- affect alertness as much or more than the cumulative time on duty. Current regulations allow commercial operators to drive up to 10 hours after a mandatory eight-hour off-duty period. AAA said that new regulations could include allowances for brief naps, focus on actual time behind the wheel and utilize new technology that monitors driver alertness while the vehicle is in operation. "While there needs to be additional research on driver fatigue, AAA believes new regulations should go well beyond a simple count of the cumulative hours on duty," said Edwards. "We feel FHWA is taking the right initial steps toward developing effective regulation of this issue." AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 99 motor clubs with more than 1,000 offices providing more than 39 million members in the U.S. and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services. SOURCE American Automobile Association
CONTACT: Jerry Cheske or Mike Morrissey, both of AAA, 407-444-8000