Hours not to reason...
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• A newspaper article warning of the danger of truck drivers falling asleep at the wheel because they have legally been on duty for almost 24 hours is "grossly inaccurate", says the Freight Transport Association.
The FTA says the report in Saturday's Daily Telegraph fails to point out that drivers must take a continuous daily rest of at least nine hours, The Telegraph gives a fictitious example of a driver who goes on duty at 06:00hrs and crashes at
05:00hrs the next morning though he has only driven for 8.5 hours, but this example does not allow for a continuous rest period, says the FTA.
It is based on an article in New Scientist magazine by sleep expert Jim Home. The FTA says Horne has admitted he did not realise daily rest had to be continuous, and now it is demanding a correction from the Telegraph. "This will confuse lorry drivers and transport managers who read that newspaper," it says.