Statistically, the driver of the big rig beside you is likely to be one of the most fatigued drivers on the road.
In fact, drowsy driving has been identified as an epidemic among commercial truck drivers. Fueled by a trucker shortage and an increasing demand for goods, the risks are not going away anytime soon. In fact, the industry continues to make matters worse by using incentive pay and self-policing, while largely ignoring the medical and lifestyle risks faced by the American truck driver.
By some estimates, commercial driver error causes more than 10,000 collisions in Ohio each year, seriously injuring or killing more than 2,000 motorists. It’s a risk that our Chillicothe trucking injury lawyers have watched grow amid the supply-chain and labor-shortages of the coronavirus pandemic, even as the Internet economy continues to push the warehouse and delivery economy onto the antiquated highways and byways of our region.
Causes of Drowsy Driving Trucking Accidents
Common causes of the drowsy-driving epidemic among truckers include:
Hours of Service: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration limits drivers to 11 consecutive hours and a maximum of 14 hours in any 24 hour period. However, there are exemptions for driving in bad weather (drivers get to stay on the road longer) and for the growing short-haul industry, which has been exempted from following some of the rules. While onboard electronic data recorders are increasingly common, historically the industry has used paper log books to make a mockery of the rules.
Driver shortage: The industry was short more than 60,000 truckers at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and that shortage is expected to grow to nearly 200,000 by the end of the decade. More than 100,0000 new truckers will need to be put on the nation’s roads each year to handle the demand for new truckers and replace those aging out or otherwise leaving the industry.
Sleep apnea: A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania and sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the American Transportation Research Institute of the American Trucking Associations found that almost one-third (28 percent) of commercial truck drivers have mild to severe sleep apnea. The condition can cause irritability, daytime drowsiness and loss of focus and concentration. Still, federal regulators have no formal rules about the condition, despite making it illegal for a commercial driver to remain on the road with any condition that may impair driving ability.
Medical conditions: The lifestyle of an over-the-road truck driver may lead to numerous other conditions that can impact a driver’s ability to remain alert at the wheel, including diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and alcohol or substance abuse.
Forced Productivity: Most drivers are paid by the load, by the delivery, or by the mile. Such incentive pay, combined with increased demand and a labor shortage, puts more tired drivers on the road. The increasing prevalence of independent regional carriers, like those that deliver for Amazon, have brought more risk as inexperienced drivers operate at peak times in high-turnover positions, to deliver packages in the face of automated routing and unrealistic performance measures.
Identifying all of the causes of a collision is a critical step when it comes to building a comprehensive claim for damages in the wake of a serious or fatal trucking accident.
If you are involved in a collision with a commercial vehicle, contact the Warren Law Firm.
Photo by Lechon Kirb
