Drivers who are tired can make unsafe moves that affect other drivers on the roadways. When a trucker is tired, the effects of that fatigue can lead to serious accidents. Learning about trucker fatigue might help some motorists to understand why a fatigued trucker is such a danger on the roadways.
Sleep debt is a problem that can affect almost every trucker on the road. These individuals sleep away from home most nights of the week. That can lead to broken sleep or fitful sleep. This means that they have to deal with a lack of sleep, as well as a poor quality of sleep. Over time, those factors combine to lead to fatigue.
Truckers also have some other unique issues that can lead to fatigue. Simply being on the road too long can lead to fatigue. Driving at night, having to get on the road early in the morning or driving irregular hours can also negatively impact a driver’s fatigue level.
Some truckers have to do physical labor as part of their job. This can include loading and unloading the cargo. That physical labor can lead to fatigue. In some cases, the trucker might not have time to recover from one shift to another of driving and physical labor.
Truckers who are unfit or overweight may tire out easier than drivers who are fit and at a healthy weight. That can also make it difficult to drive the hours necessary to make delivery deadlines.
Being injured in an accident that was caused by a fatigued trucker might lead you to seek compensation. As part of your case, you will have to determine who to hold accountable for the accident. That might include the trucker, the trucking company, the trucker’s insurance company or a combination of those parties.
Source: Stop Unsafe Trucks, “Accidents & Fatigue,” accessed Sep. 28, 2015
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