A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday struck down federal rules that permit long-haul truckers to drive longer hours. The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia invalidated a 2005 Department rule that increased allowable driving time from the traditional 10 hours daily 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. Consumer and safety groups have challenged the rule, saying the longer driving hours do not adequately address safety or worker health. Current driver rules will remain in effect for approximately 52 days, until the court order becomes effective. The American Trucking Associations said in a statement it will seek a stay from the Court to keep the current rules in place until the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration provides the court with explanations for two of the rules provisions. “From the trucking industry's standpoint, the good news in the decision is that the flaws that the Court found were procedural in nature and can be corrected by the agency,” the ATA said in the release.