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Fatigued Driving Prevention

In 2017, the Taxi and Limousine Commission passed fatigued driving prevention rules (PDF).

FAQ in other languages:

Sample Warning Letter: Drivers
You may have received a letter in the mail to help you understand how your driving schedule may violate the fatigue driving rules.  If you receive this letter in the mail, please review the summary of your driving time to understand how to avoid violating the rules in the future.  The letter is NOT a summons. However if you do not reduce the number of hours you drive with passengers, you may receive a summons once TLC begins enforcement.
If you received your letter in the mail and would like to read the letter in a language other than English, please click on the links below.

Sample Warning Letter: Bases
If you are a Base Owner, received a letter in the mail and would like to read the letter in a language other than English, please click on the links below.

Why the TLC is addressing fatigued driving

Fatigued driving endangers not only drivers, but everyone on our streets. Studies show that driving while fatigued can be as dangerous as driving after heavy drinking. As driving time increases, so do the odds of being in a collision. However, TLC rules on driving hours previously only applied to taxi drivers and did not effectively limit the risk of fatigue. Creating an improved strategy to prevent fatigued driving that applies to drivers whether they’re driving a taxi or a for-hire vehicle is an important step toward reaching our City’s Vision Zero goal to end traffic fatalities. By creating daily and weekly driving hour limits and collecting the data needed to check for compliance, the new fatigued driving prevention rules address the two types of fatigue that can affect driving – acute fatigue and chronic fatigue. Acute fatigue, resulting from not enough sleep on a single day, is linked to a higher risk of traffic crashes and slower response times to pedestrians in the crosswalk. Chronic fatigue, which occurs when people don’t get enough rest over a longer period of time, also makes it difficult to drive safely.

What taxi and FHV drivers should know

TLC is now counting passenger time to determine if a driver has gone beyond the daily or weekly limit. TLC will only count the amount of time a passenger is in the vehicle, between each pick-up and drop-off during any 24 hour period and during a calendar week (Monday-Sunday). Drivers should track the amount of time they spend with passengers to be careful not to go over daily and weekly passenger time limits. By tracking passenger time, drivers will know when they cannot accept new trips. If a driver gets stuck in traffic with a passenger in the car, then that time in traffic is counted toward the hour limits. But if a driver is cruising for a new trip and gets stuck in traffic, that time is not counted toward the driving limits because no passenger is in the vehicle. Drivers can reset their 24 hour clock by not driving passengers for 8 hours. After an 8 hour break, drivers can begin counting 10 more hours of passenger time. Always be sure to stay under the weekly 60 hour limit.
 
TLC is now issuing warnings to drivers who have gone over their daily or weekly limits. The warnings will give drivers information so they can change their schedules before any summonses are issued. Summonses will not be issued until late 2018.

Pick up and drop off data will come from FHV bases and TPEP and LPEP systems. FHV drivers should discuss how to best keep track of their hours with the bases they accept trips from. If you are an FHV driver who accepts dispatches from multiple bases, your passenger time will be totaled from all bases. Yellow and green taxi drivers can keep track of their trips using their TPEP/LPEP records. For help, contact your TPEP/LPEP provider. Contact information is listed below.

Creative Mobile Technologies, LLC (CMT)
11-51 47th Ave Long Island City NY 11101
Tel: (718) 937 4444
Fax: (718) 472-4CMT (4268)
24 Hour Help Desk: (877) 268-2947

Verifone, Inc.
37-03 21st Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
Tel: (718) 752-1656
24 Hour Help Desk: (888) 432-7031

What bases should know

Bases are responsible for making sure they are not dispatching trips to a driver beyond the hour limits. A base is only responsible for its own dispatches under this rule – not a driver’s total passenger time if they drive for other bases, as well. The new rule requires bases to submit drop-off data for each trip.

What the yellow taxi industry should know

For the taxi industry, no new data is required since TPEP records the necessary information for these rules.