Court sets aside trucker driving regulation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday set aside federal rules that permit long-haul truckers to drive longer hours.

The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia vacated provisions in a 2005 Transportation Department rule that increased allowable driving time from 10 hours daily, where it had stood for decades, to 11.

The court also rejected a provision that allowed truckers to "restart" their weekly allotment of driving time after a 34-hour rest period.

The provisions were at the center of government and industry efforts to rewrite trucker rest rules to improve efficiency and boost safety. But consumer and safety groups have now won two court challenges on grounds the measure does not adequately address safety or the impact on worker health of driving longer hours.