You know how tiring a long drive can be. Sometimes, it may be easier to simply buy a bus ticket in San Jose and leave the driving to someone else. Yet what is to say that the bus driver will not also become fatigued during your journey? It is well-known that long-haul truckers transporting freight are to follow strict hours of service regulations. Many come to us here at Shea & Shea – a Professional Law Corporation questioning whether the same standards are assigned to bus drivers.
The answer to that question is yes…and no. The person driving your bus is not expected to adhere to the same working standard as a truck driver. That said, there are hours of service guidelines in place for drivers who transport passengers. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, these are:
- Bus drivers may only drive a maximum of 10 hours after having taken eight consecutive hours off duty
- A bus driver’s 10 driving hours must be completed with a 15-hour time period, after which they are required to take eight consecutive hours off
- A bus driver can only drive between 60-70 hours within seven to eight consecutive days
Special considerations can be made if the bus you are traveling is equipped with a sleeper berth for the driver. If it is, then your driver may be allowed to drive for longer periods provided they take at least eight hours off to rest in the sleeper berth (those eight hours can be split into two periods, provided that both are no less than two hours long).
You and other passengers can serve as the proof as to whether your bus driver adhered to their hours of service standards. More information on driver accountability in bus accidents can be found here on our site.