Fatigued driving is dangerous for anyone. It could cause them to nod off behind the wheel and entirely lose control of the car. But even if they stay awake, it can impact their decision-making ability and their reaction times.
This is especially serious when it happens to truck drivers. After all, a semi-truck is much taller than the cars around it and weighs up to 80,000 pounds. If a truck driver causes an accident, it is the people in those surrounding vehicles who are most likely to be injured or even killed in the crash.
How often does fatigue play a role?
Some studies looked at large truck accidents and determined that fatigue played a role in roughly 13% of these cases. It is important to note, however, that this is just when fatigue could be reasonably demonstrated. It is safe to say that there are drivers who cause accidents and may then claim they weren’t tired when they were actually feeling fatigued behind the wheel.
After all, most drivers have felt tired and struggled to keep their eyes open at some point. If it gets too bad, the safest thing to do is often just to pull over and rest before continuing on. But truck drivers are on the clock, they have deadlines to meet, and their career depends on the fact that they can make those deliveries. As such, they have a financial incentive to keep driving even when they’re too tired to drive safely.
Have you suffered injuries?
Fatigued driving is only one of the reasons for truck accidents, and they can all cause serious injuries. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.