The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) regulation that required CMV (Commercial Motor Vehicle) drivers to take breaks in the hopes of preventing driver fatigue has been suspended since 2014 so that further research could be done to understand the efficacy of the program. A study from the Department of Transportation was released that said the stricter mandated breaks did not really do much in the way of reducing driver fatigue or improving safety, and the FMCSA announced that the rule will not come out of suspension and go into effect.

The rule issued in 2013 required drivers to take rest breaks between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. as well as a 34 hour “restart” break once a week that would include two of the 1 a.m.-5 a.m. windows. The rule was supposed to prevent fatigue. Others said the rule forced a lot of drivers to get on the road just as many morning commuters were heading out as well, creating more traffic and potential safety issues. The Department of Transportation conducted a study on the matter.

They compared two groups of CMV drivers, looking at their work schedules and fatigue levels over five months. One group followed the restrictions set in 2013, and the other followed an older and less restrictive set of rules. Drivers were from companies of varying fleet sizes and operations (long-haul, regional and short-haul) as well as different types of industry vehicles (refrigerated trucks, flat-bed, tank and dry-van).They used Psychomotor Vigilance Tests to measure alertness and Actigraph watches to measure sleep as well as driver questionnaires and onboard cameras to monitor driver alertness. They did not find a definitive link between the breaks and the 34 hour rest period and improved safety.

The FMCSA will not enforce the requirements of two breaks during the overnight hours and the once a week 34 hour “restart”.