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Lorry Driver Hours

Sir,

 

The European rules to bring working hours of self-employed lorry drivers in to line with safety limits for drivers working for transport companies will be challenged today in the European Parliament (16 June 2010).

 

Driving – especially whilst tired – is one of the most dangerous work related activities that people do each day.  Research into the field of driver fatigue led to new European rules in 2005 limiting working hours in road transport to a maximum of 60 in any one week. 

 

Everyone is familiar with the phrase ‘tiredness kills’, yet it is unscrupulous businesses and individuals who want to see these proposals being overturned for self-employed lorry drivers.  If these rules are overturned, millions of drivers, passengers and pedestrians will be at risk from over-worked and fatigued lorry drivers who could be legally allowed to drive up to no less than eighty hours per week.  The Royal Society for the Prevention of Road Accidents (ROSPA), have collated statistics highlighting that up to 20% of road accidents – on monotonous roads such as motorways – are fatigue related.

 

It is vital that we maintain the rules agreed before.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Catherine Stihler MEP