Fatigued Truck Drivers Are A Highway Hazard

Federal trucking regulations limit how much time truckers can drive each day and limit time spent behind the wheel in any given week. The use of modern technology in tracking compliance with these regulations makes it virtually impossible for drivers to skirt the rules. But tired truck drivers remain a problem, and fatigue is a factor in many traffic accidents involving tractor-trailer rigs.

If you have been involved in an accident involving a tractor-trailer rig and believe trucker fatigue may have been involved, talk with the California personal injury attorneys of Maire & Deedon. They will work to protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.

Truck Driver Fatigue Is A Documented Safety Hazard

Even though federal regulations limit truckers’ time behind the wheel, a truck driver can spend up to 11 hours per day driving and up to 60 hours per week. The daily limit can be extended in the event of bad weather. Basically, a trucker can spend more hours a week driving than most other people spend at their jobs. And a trucker nodding off on the job has much more severe consequences than for most other employees.

When you consider that the nation has a shortage of truck drivers – roughly 80,000 fewer than are currently needed to move the nation’s freight, and that shortage is expected to get much worse in coming years – truckers are being pushed to hit the maximum limits more than ever. That is definitely not a good thing.

Multiple studies show the impact of driving while fatigued on driver performance for truckers and all other drivers. The consequences can be dire for truckers, driving vehicles weighing as much as 80,000 pounds and going up against passenger vehicles weighing between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds. And studies show that truckers driving fatigued suffer from the following:

  • A decrease in the ability to focus on road, weather, and traffic conditions
  • Significantly slower reaction time
  • Upon reacting to events, decision-making is either too slow or simply wrong to handle rapidly developing dangerous traffic situations.

Especially these days, with supply chain issues and too few truckers to keep up with demand, driver fatigue is a widespread problem. Studies have found that two out of three truck drivers have driven while tired on half of the trips they make. That fatigue can prove deadly, as a national study estimated that of all truck drivers involved in fatal accidents, 13% were fatigued at the time. Truck driver fatigue is considered a factor in up to 100,000 traffic accidents each year, resulting in 1,500 traffic fatalities annually. Other studies put the percentage of accidents involving trucks where driver fatigue is a factor as high as 40%.

If You Were Injured In An Accident Involving A Fatigued Trucker, Call The Attorneys of Maire & Deedon

If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving a commercial truck, especially a long-haul tractor-trailer, and believe the driver was driving fatigued, you might have recourse. You need to talk to the Redding, CA, personal injury attorneys of Maire & Deedon. We have the experience and knowledge to help you figure out your options. Our attorneys can help you go after the compensation for your injuries and damages that you deserve.