In Australia, that country's equivalent to the U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a driver-fatigue law that a lot of American truckers would like to see here.

According to The Australian Associated Press, the law provides for fines of up to $50,000 for carriers or shippers who push drivers to the point of fatigue.

A transportation official told The AAP the law "focuses on the root cause of driver fatigue, rather than simply regulating hours."

However, how effective the measure will be is in question. About half of Australia's states and territories have announced they don't intend to enforce some aspects of the law, according to media reports.