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General Knowledge: Fatigue And Awareness

3 questions in the bank cover this topic. Everything below is drawn from the sources those questions cite.

Sources: 49 CFR 392.3, 49 CFR 395.3

What you need to know

392.3 binds both the driver and the carrier: no carrier shall require or permit a driver to operate while so impaired.

Remaining within hours of service does not make fatigued driving lawful, because 392.3 is a separate requirement from Part 395.

No driver shall operate a commercial motor vehicle, and a motor carrier shall not require or permit a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle, while the driver's ability or alertness is so impaired, or so likely to become impaired, through fatigue, illness, or any other cause, as to make it unsafe.

49 CFR 392.3

392.3 provides one narrow exception: a grave emergency where compliance would increase the hazard to occupants or other highway users, and then only as far as the nearest place where the hazard is removed.

Even then you may continue only to the nearest place the hazard is removed.

However, in a case of grave emergency where the hazard to occupants of the commercial motor vehicle or other users of the highway would be increased by compliance with this section, the driver may continue to operate the commercial motor vehicle to the nearest place at which that hazard is removed.

49 CFR 392.3

395.3(a)(3)(ii) allows the 30-minute interruption to be satisfied by off-duty, sleeper berth or on-duty not driving time, or any combination, provided it is consecutive.

A consecutive 30-minute interruption of driving status may be satisfied either by off-duty, sleeper berth or on-duty not driving time or by a combination of off-duty, sleeper berth and on-duty not driving time.

49 CFR 395.3

Check yourself

Answers are in the practice test for this topic.