Bus Hours of Service Rules
US DOT Regulations
Driver Fatigue. What does it mean to you? In contracting for bus service, you assume that the trip will be a safe one. You should. Bus transportation is the safest on the highway. However, analysis of serious highway accidents that do involve buses often point to driver fatigue as a major cause. Economic, consumer and scheduling demands often drive this problem; however, driver fatigue can produce deadly results.
Studies prove that drivers who suffer from fatigue experience:
- 1. Reduced alertness to conditions around the vehicle
- 2. Distractions by irrelevant stimuli which interfere with their concentration
- 3. Lapses in attention
- 4. Slower reaction time in critical situations
- 5. Adverse effects on memory, reasoning, communicating, decision making and an increased number of operating errors
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has restrictions on how long a driver can operate a commercial vehicle. The “Hours of Service” rules are sensible guidelines for safe operation of the vehicle. Hours of Service The USDOT regulation 395.10 restricts a driver’s actual on-the-road time.
The rule has 3 components:
15 Hour Rule After 15 hours on-duty* (driving and on-duty not driving) a driver cannot continue driving until eight (8) consecutive hours off-duty are taken.
70 Hours Rule On-duty time cannot exceed 70 hours for any period of eight (8) consecutive days.
* On-duty not driving includes time for pre-trip inspecting, meal times and delays.
