Operator Fatigue and EOBRs

The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) has begun to tackle operator fatigue through research, enforcement, and new technology. FMCSA has also adopted a specific performance measure in its 2010 Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) to target carriers whose commercial truck drivers demonstrate highrisk behavior.

 Earlier this year, FMCSA also issued a final remedial rule, known as EOBR 1, which requires motor carriers found to have an hours-of-service violation rate of 10 percent or more during a compliance review to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) on the carrier’s entire fleet. EOBRs automatically record the number of hours commerical truck drivers spend operating the commercial vehicle. The rule took effect in April 2010 with a 2-year implementation date.