Over the past 6 years, the NY Times reports, regulations on the trucking industry have been relaxed more so than in a generation. Who cares? Well you would if an 18 wheeler slammed into you because the driver wasn't required to sleep. It happens more than you would think.
A central question in this course is where do we strike a balance between the rights of industry on the one hand, and the rights of the public at large. To what extent are regulations neccessary, and indeed, legitimate? Can the government do something right for the public interest, and is regulation in the public interest anyway?
12 comments:
it is rather rediculous to think that some truck drivers are not required to sleep while transporting goods across country. regulations have to be made that keep everyone on the road safer but at the same time we must realize that there are certain time restraints that have to be met while transporting goods. Regulations are necessary and legit because if the deaths related to transportation increase there will be big problems. An idea to help with drivers not being so overworked is to have more than one driver in the 18 wheeler at a time and they can switch when one gets tired. with a few modifications the road can be safer for everyone.
The recent deregulation of the trucking industry by the Bush adminisrtation has helped to increase profitablity and decrease prices, but at what cost? The fatality rate of truck related accidents is double that of car related accidents, but they are declining. Some say the regulation of the trucking industry takes away the free-market approach the US is supposed to have, but if it means allowing unskilled drivers on the road, I say there should be some regulations on hours of driving permitted like there used to be, if it will cut down on accidents. And as for the question if its a public interest, I believe it is because if your driving next to a 18-wheeler and he falls asleep, your in trouble. If it affects the safety of the drivers on the road its a public interest.
To be 100% honest driving next to big rigs scarys the poopy outta me, i drive about 20 miles per hour over the speed limit to get past them. I give truckers a lot of credit, they drive all those hours with no one but Garth Brooks on the radio, cutting their driving hours would decrease output but increase people living on the roads. About 10% of accidents on the roads are caused by over-worked truck drivers. Drivers say that there is an increase of moving goods, and a decrease of people dying with loosened standards. I wish trucks had their own highway......they scare me.
I feel that the government has to maintain equilibrium between freedom and rules and regulations of the commercial truck industry. If they over do the rules nad regulations the importing and exporting of products will become more difficult than nesscary and the government will ultimatley have to find a different way in which they could support the delivery of various items. If the trucking industry cannot support the economy the United States economy will be on a downward spin. Without rules and regulations having 18-wheelers becomes a hazard to the citizens of America. Rules regarding sleep and which lanes and roads trucks can use should be implied or else the truck drivers can hurt themselves or others
the buddy system works for the military so why not for trucking? no one should have to drive if they are tired they should be able to rest even if it does mean your goods will be a day later to the store maybe the stores should be responceable and call it in a day earlyer making the roads safer as well.
Yes, it is in the public intrest since the public shares the road ways with these trucks. I am always a little scared when driving next to a large truck since I wonder how good their visability is on the side so i normally stay behind them. But sleep is vital for them to complete their job if they try to get their shipment across the country faster by drinking coffe and energy drinks then we will have problems. We must keep the restrictions on truck driving because the regulations will keep our road ways safe for the little guys, cars and pickups.
Keith a buddy system would mean only 1 truck rolling with 2 driver. But I know that it exists.
regulations have to be made that keep everyone on the road safer, but things also have to arrive ontime. it is scary to think that some truck drivers are not amde to sleep while transporting things across the country. We must keep the restrictions on truck driving because the regulations will keep our road ways safe for everyone else.
It is easy to space out when driving for a long period of time. These truckers are driving many hours in a row over long stretches of boring highway so it is easy for them to space out especially when they are sleep deprived. Regulations should be set to help keep the truck drivers more alert and safe as they drive across the country. Multiple drivers would not be the most efficient way to perform business but it would act as insurance for the goods and would make highways safer. An eighteen wheeler can be a seventy mile an hour force and I feel that the force should be controlled by responsible and awake drivers.
i agree with keith to avoid accidents they should use the buddy system. having an 18 wheeler next to you on a highway is scarry enough with out thinking about that drifting into ur lane and actually hitting you. the buddy system would definatly cut down on the amount of accidents caused by drowsy drivers. this would also mean that products got to places faster and there would be less accidents.
It is definitely good idea to keep a tight regulation on truck drivers sleeping habits. It really isnt worth having some goods being on time and risking a human(s) life or having some goods being a day late or something and having safe roads. And it is definitely in the publics interestes seeing as they are on public roads, but i do like a buck20 past them so i dont really worry about it. but than again you would also wanna be carful not to over regualte cause well it would affect the economy in a bad way but im sure the government could figure it out
Ok so the government believes that by deregulating the trucking industry, the profits will increase and the prices will decrease.Well that may very well be true, but how far are we willing to go to save a pretty penny? It's amazing that people are willing to risk their lives driving on the same roads as sleep deprived truckers. I don't know about the Bush Administration.. but for me, driving on the highway scares the s**t out of me. I can't stand to be stuck between two giant mac trucks! And now to learn that they aren't being forced to have a descent amount of sleep before they travel across the country,... really doesn't make me feel any safer.
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