Truckers work long hours to try to make their deadlines and sometimes they push the limits of their ability to stay awake. Drowsy driving due to trucker fatigue is no joke. A truck accident involving a tired trucker and a 40 ton rig can be a deadly combination.
Causes of Trucker Fatigue
Being on the road for a long time can cause sleepiness, headaches, restlessness, body aches, boredom, irritability and concentration problems. Also, many truckers are unable to tell when they are too tired to drive safely.
These are some causes of truck driver fatigue:
- Lack of restful sleep. Many truck drivers keep sporadic sleeping schedules, pushing themselves too hard, then taking shorter naps when needed. Day in and day out of this can leave them feeling quite out of it behind the wheel.
- Driving too many hours consecutively. If you’ve been on a road trip you know how mesmerizing the highway can get after a while. When truckers map out their days of driving on long trips, they often try to jam to many driving hours in to try to slice off a day or two.
- Deadlines and Quotas. Part of the problem is the workload which many truckers take on. They’re in a race to finish their jobs in a timely fashion and many see sleep as an obstacle, rather than a necessary benefit.
- Drug Use. There are many different “uppers” that truckers might use to keep them awake for long hours throughout the night. Inevitably, drug use like this will always catch up and the driver will come down hard.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created the Hours of Service regulations to help to ensure that long distance truck drivers don’t suffer from driver fatigue. This doesn’t mean that truckers and trucking companies won’t continue to push those limits to make quotas.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been Injured in a Truck Accident?
Truck accidents can have life-changing consequences for victims and their families. Medical expenses and lost wages often create financial hardships that endure for years, especially if you are unable to return to the same level of work that you did before. You should contact a lawyer who knows about the federal trucking regulations as soon as possible. Please contact The Law Offices of Dussault & Zatir for more info or legal assistance.
*The above is not to be considered as legal advice. Every case is different and the laws which apply may differ from state to state.
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