Truck driver fatigue is a killer on our nation’s highways. For truck drivers, there is exceeding pressure to get your load to the destination quickly. Often, Federal regulations for rest breaks are ignored or flat out discouraged. A fatigued truck driver can cause devastating accidents that kill or maim thousands each year.
Trucking Accidents & Driver Fatigue
It seems like common sense that when you are tired, you shouldn’t be driving. Trucking accidents caused by truck driver fatigue hover between 5% to 30%. When you think of fatigue as the cause of accidents, most people think of falling asleep behind the wheel. However, excessive yawning, daydreaming, fixated eye actions, and slower reactions are all dangerous consequences of being a fatigued truck driver. In a study performed by the National Highway Transportation Authority, between 4,000 and 5,000 deaths annually are caused by hauling trucks. Of the fatalities, victims were often in the other vehicle, pedestrians, or cyclists. More than 85% of the fatalities that occurred were not occupants of the truck. Truck drivers have more protection and tend to fare better than those on the receiving end of an accident.
Truck Driver Regulations Involving Fatigued Driving
Rules that govern fatigued drivers are created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These rules contain limits on how long a driver may operate a vehicle in one stretch, dictates when and how long rest breaks are supposed to occur. In Texas, if a truck driver has caused a fatal collision and violated these rules, they are liable for wrongful death. This means that the family of the deceased can bring a lawsuit against the negligent truck driver or their company to obtain compensation for damages such as medical bills, loss of income, loss of consortium, and other possible damages.