The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic. The trucking regulations are intended to maximize safety on our country's roadways. However, truck drivers may fail to abide by the standards and increase the likelihood that a truck accident will occur. At Bachus & Schanker, LLC in Denver, Colorado, our truck accident attorneys can assist victims if violation of trucking regulations contributed to your collision with a commercial vehicle.

Listed below are some of the trucking regulations outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. You can access a complete list of the FMCSRs at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/rules-regulations.htm.

• 49 CFR 350: Commercial Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program
  Develops and implements programs that will ultimately improve motor carrier and driver safety and establish a safer and more efficient transportation system.
• 49 CFR 382: Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing 
  Designed to prevent accidents and injuries resulting from impairment due to the use of alcohol or drugs by drivers of commercial motor vehicles.
• 49 CFR 383: Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties 
  Requires drivers of certain vehicles to obtain a single commercial motor vehicle driver's license and by disqualifying drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles in an unsafe manner
• 49 CFR 391: Qualifications of Drivers 
  Establishes minimum qualifications for drivers of commercial motor vehicles and the minimum duties of motor carriers with respect to the qualifications of their drivers.
• 49 CFR 392: Driving of Commercial Motor Vehicles 
  Stipulates that to be involved in interstate travel, the truck driver, his company, and all others responsible for the management, maintenance, operation, or driving of commercial motor vehicles or the hiring, supervision, training, assigning, or dispatching of drivers must follow federal regulations.
• 49 CFR 393: Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation 
  Regulates parts and accessories for motor vehicles to ensure they are in accordance with the requirements and specifications.

• 49 CFR 395: Hours of Service of Drivers 
  Governs the number of hours that a truck driver may drive or be in service during a given time period.
• 49 CFR 396: Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance 
  Guidelines for commercial vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance as well as standards for reporting defects and other mechanical safety concerns.
• 49 CFR 397: Transportation of Hazardous Materials; Driving and Parking Rules 
  Regulations for the transportation of hazardous materials including parking, attendance, and safe haven guidelines.
• 49 CFR 398: Transportation of Migrant Workers 
  Specifies regulations for migrant workers, or three or more non-related workers traveling a distance greater than 75 miles for work in a vehicle other than a standard passenger automobile.
• 49 CFR 399: Employee Safety and Health Standards  
  Driver and employee safety standards and health regulation, including inspection and maintenance requirements.

Colorado Trucking Regulations

Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute § 42-4-235(4), the Colorado Department of Public Safety has adopted portions of the federal trucking regulations, which govern commercial vehicles driven by local route drivers who operate only inside the Colorado state boundaries. Some examples are listed below.

For a full review of the Colorado Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, please visit http://csp.state.co.us/mcsap.cfm.

• Hours of Service - Colorado follows FMCSR 395 with modifications. For trucks only traveling in the state of Colorado, FMCSR section 395.3 exempts governmental and public utility drivers working on an emergency, as long as they have complied with the hours of service requirements.
• Crash Reports - If you want to know about other crashes the commercial truck has been in, crash reports are available from:

Colorado Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Business Group
Traffic Regulation Department
1881 Pierce St. Room 162
Lakewood CO 80214
303-205-5613

Colorado truck accident attorneys can also help victims investigate whether a driver or trucking company violated any of the federal or state trucking regulations and if the violation was to blame for the accident.