Rob, you need a little more context with that statement ... I suspect you mean the unstoppable 14 hour window, correct?
And yes, I agree with that. I see that the U.S. is doing a study on bringing back the split sleeper berth. I suspect they will "find" that it is a good idea. The 14 hour rule, as it now stands, regardless of paper or ELD, is the catalyst for the perceived lost production when the ELD mandate comes into effect, because if you are running legally, it doesn't matter if you're electronic or paper. The rule itself is flawed. It requires drivers to work when it may very well not be safe for them to do so. A good example is a run that starts at midnight. Mother Nature, by way of circadian rhythms, says that homo sapiens have to sleep between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM regardless of how long they have been up (some people's rhythms are a bit different, but there is essentially a 2 hour window in which the human must sleep). The unstoppable 14 hour rule says that the driver must work through that period or risk having to work an extra day. The driver is being pushed beyond his/her physical limit. It's about the same as asking a brain surgeon to go to work regardless of how much he had to drink at the office Christmas party. It's a crap shoot.
As far as the 400 accident goes, I suspect you will find that the truck driver that is believed to be at fault, either suffered a debilitating medical event, or was busy on his cell phone. Personally, I'm betting on the latter. Either way the fault lays directly at the feet of government. If it was medical, the MTO should have picked it up during his physical. If it was the cell phone, then the Provincial or Federal Governments should have mandated cell phones not operate when they are moving when it became clearly evident that distracted drivers kill more people than impaired drivers. If Pokemon Go can do it in a game, then Apple, Samsung, and Motorola sure in as hell can ... they make the damned phones. Surely today's "Smart" phones can tell if they are moving and should be able to know enough not to send or receive a text or data at all, or allow an incoming or outgoing call if it's not connected to a Bluetooth device.
My personal pet peeve ... Impaired driving costs you a 10 -15k lawyer and your license for a year (the first time). Distracted driving costs you a piddly-ass fine. When the end results of an accident involving either impaired or distracted drivers is the same, why are the penalties not the same? It is my personal belief that if Johnny Law catches you texting while you are driving down the road, it should cost you that 10-15k lawyer and your license for a year ... the first time.
FFS people ... is your Facebook status or Tweet that important that it's okay to risk someone else's life ???????
If there is a God in heaven, I beg of you to bring us autonomous cars TOMORROW !!!!
