WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Thursday announced final regulations that aim to settle years of debate over how to give drivers flexibility in limits on their driving hours while preventing accidents caused by driver fatigue.

In a press call with acting administrator Jim Mullen and Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao, Mullen said the final rules that have been in the works since 2018 would not add to the hours drivers can operate their trucks during a workday but provide more options for when they can take breaks.

FMCSA estimates the new rules will save the trucking industry $274 million annually over 10 years. The rule change follows two years of debate and 8,000 public comments, Chao said.

Safety advocates and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters were among those critical of the new rules.