The shortage of rest areas is not a problem limited to the United States. But a group of Ontario truck drivers has launched a campaign to petition the provincial government to build more roadside rest areas -- and looks to the U.S. for inspiration.

The Ontario Trucking Assn. Professional Driver & Operator Forum is circulating a petition to truckstops and over the Internet that it will present to the provincial government later this year. The Forum has more than 600 members.
You can access the petition form at www.ontruck.org/divisions/petition.htm
"Truck drivers must observe strict regulatory limits on the number of hours they are permitted to drive after which they must shut down and rest. In addition, they should be able to take rest breaks and catnaps any time they feel fatigued to maintain a high-level of alertness while behind the wheel," says Leo Van Tuyl, executive director of the Forum. "Yet, there aren't enough places in Ontario where a driver can park his rig and sleep or take a nap."
"Instead", he says, "drivers in need of rest are often forced to park their vehicles on the shoulders of highways, creating a hazard for the driver and other motorists."
The Forum wants Ontario to take a look at the roadside rest areas in the United States.