Truck rules suspended during beet season

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Law enforcement officials in North Dakota and Minnesota are questioning the wisdom of relaxed driver's license rules for truck drivers during the Red River Valley sugar beet harvest.

The questions follow crashes this week involving the big trucks, including one that killed a Wahpeton woman.

During the harvest, anyone with a valid driver's license can haul sugar beets in trucks that normally require a commercial driver's license to operate. And ``hours of service' rules, which limit how long a driver can be behind the wheel before taking a rest, are suspended. Federal law allows such exceptions.

Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Rick Fjestad and North Dakota Highway Patrol Lt. Kyle Kirchmeier say inexperienced drivers in big trucks is a concern.

Fjestad also says that in recent years, the number of serious crashes involving beet trucks has dropped. He attributes that to law enforcement efforts to educate growers about the importance of making sure drivers know how to properly operate the big trucks.

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Information from: The Forum, http://www.in-forum.com

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