OTTAWA (May 1, 2003) — The railway-funded lobby group Canadians for Responsible and Safe Highways (CRASH) called upon Transport Canada to abandon its own hours-of-service proposal and adopt rules that mirror a U.S. proposal unveiled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week.

“The new American regulations are far from perfect,” Bob Evans, CRASH executive director, said in a press release, “but they are clearly safer than the regulations currently proposed for Canada.”

Under the new rule, drivers may drive up to 11 hours per day (up from the current 10), but are limited to 14 hours on duty in a given duty period (down from 15). The 14-hour duty period may not be extended with off-duty time for meal and fuel stops, etc. Only the use of a sleeper berth can extend the 14-hour on-duty period.

CRASH, often criticized by trucking associations as an anti-truck lobbying group, said adoption of the U.S. rule would mean safer roads in Canada. In Canada drivers would be restricted to 14 hours on duty (13 hours driving) followed by 10 hours off during a 24-hour period. At least eight of these off-duty hours would have to be taken consecutively, with the additional two hours to be taken in increments of no less than a half hour.

The Canadian rules also cut the number of available work/rest cycles from three to two: a maximum 70-hour cycle over seven days and a maximum 120-hour cycle over 14 days. Drivers who want to switch or reset cycles would need to take at least 36 consecutive hours off duty before “resetting the clock to zero” for the 70-hour cycle, and at least 72 consecutive hours off for the 120-hour cycle. At least once every 14 days, all drivers would be required to take at least 24 hours off.

Evans indicated that harmonization of Canadian rules with those south of the border, would make sense for drivers in southern Canada who may be conforming to the American regulations in any event because they are frequently travelling in and out of the U.S.