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From Collegiate Presswire's RadioWire (https://www.cpwire.com/radio): Radio New rules of the road go into effect for truckers on Sunday that should make it safer for everyone on the road. For the first time in more than 60 years, truck drivers will have to follow new rules about driving when they're tired. Every year, more than four hundred people are killed and 7,500 injured in crashes involving tired truck drivers. Trucker Daniel Sweaza admits he drives when he's fatigued: "If i'm not moving, I'm not making money." State trooper Don Johnson says the result can be deadly: "Fatigued truck drivers pose a great risk. Their vehicle is so much larger than anything else on the roadway. If there's an accident involved those people do not stand a chance." That's why the U.S. Department of Transportation is implementing new regulations that will require truckers to get more rest. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, Annette Sandberg: "This rule is the most significant change that the industry has seen in the last fifty to sixty years. We know that it will prevent crashes and save lives and ultimately that's what we're after." Federal transportation officials hope the new rules of the road will help them reduce the overall truck fatality rate 41% by 2008. CLICK HERE to download a transcript of this story: CLICK HERE to download a multimedia (MP3) file of this story: © Copyright 2003 Collegiate Presswire, Inc. and NBN / CP RadioWire |