Accidents involving trucks are more dangerous than those involving other small vehicles. Truck driver fatigue is one of the leading factors in these fatal collisions, and truck drivers are often overworked. Such collisions may result in wrongful death or permanently disabling injuries, including paralysis, amputation, or other physical or mental impairment.
Truck accidents undoubtedly result in significant injuries and are a serious problem caused by truck drivers. You need to hire an attorney who can protect you and assist you following a truck accident. Otherwise, the trucking companies will blame you for the accident.
Let’s dive deeper into the dangers overworked truck drivers pose to American highways.
Because Truck Drivers Don’t Brake Quickly Due to Fatigue, Which Leads to Fatal Accidents
The US transports more than 60% of the $720 billion in freight across the country by truck, making the industry vital to the country’s economy. Truck drivers are under a lot of pressure to finish their runs as fast and effectively as possible. These drivers thus spend their waking hours behind the wheel and usually get little sleep.
Lack of sleep and poor lifestyle choices can also contribute to fatigue. When a person is tired, their judgment and decision-making are affected. As a result, individuals react more slowly and are less aware of their surroundings. Damage can be catastrophic if a driver drives an 80,000-pound trailer at 65 mph and is not attentive.
Driving while tired is comparable to driving while intoxicated, and it’s a big problem. For example, a person driving after 17 or more hours may make the same mistakes as a motorist with a blood alcohol level of 0.5 or higher. These sleep-deprived drivers will exhibit the same traits associated with a DUI, such as slow reaction time, blurred vision, and poor judgment.
Due to concerns about truck accidents caused by drowsy drivers, the US Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have tightened their rules in response to these problems. For example, truck drivers’ driving hours and other restrictions are more stringent. These restrictions on truck driver fatigue provide a time limit on how long a truck driver can travel before stopping. These standards regulate commercial drivers’ schedules and workloads to keep everyone on the road safe.
Commercial and experienced truck drivers can travel up to 11 hours per day. A truck driver can log up to 60 hours weekly on the road. A fatigued trucker can still be dangerous to other motorists, even after a break. Long periods of driving can dull the senses and cause road fatigue. When a truck driver drives at night, when the body is ready for its regular sleep cycle, these risk factors increase.
Due to pressure from their employers to meet deadlines, truck drivers sometimes force themselves to continue driving even when exhausted. These unscrupulous businesses may also encourage drivers to make timetables so that they can spend more time driving. An alarming statistic on passenger car accidents vs. truck accidents shows that this behavior is dangerous and a problem for everyone on the road. In 98% of these collisions, there is a fatality.
The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that fatigue plays a role in 30 to 40% of all trucking accidents in the USA.
Conclusion
If you or your loved one were involved in a truck accident, immediately contact a truck accident attorney. A skilled and competent attorney will be familiar with the laws governing commercial trucks, which can help them successfully defend your claim.
