Few people spend more time on the road than professional drivers. The people who operate semi-trucks for a living may spend 10 to 12 hours per day at the wheel. Their drive time is only part of how long they have to stay awake in many cases. Many commercial drivers may have a commute back home after their shifts and responsibilities for their families when they get there.
The combination of a sedentary job with long shifts is a perfect recipe for fatigue. They may find themselves feeling exhausted by the end of a shift and struggling to stay awake as they drive down monotonous highways. Even though there are federal rules that limit how long truck drivers stay on the road, they may experience drowsiness and fatigue despite making every reasonable attempt to comply with regulations.
Exhausted commercial drivers could potentially cause severe collisions, which is one reason why there are rules limiting their drive time. What makes drowsiness such a safety concern for commercial vehicles?
Fatigue negatively affects driving ability
The most obvious safety issue that comes from drowsy driving is the risk of a motorist falling asleep at the wheel. People who are too tired to stay awake can lose control of their vehicles. Even dozing off for a few seconds could lead to a devastating multi-vehicle crash if the person who loses control is behind the wheel of a semi-truck.
While dozing off may be a rare occurrence, fatigue itself is a driving hazard. Motorists who have gone too long without sleep experience impairment that many compare to the effects of alcohol. They have longer reaction times and have more difficulty making safe choices in traffic. When operating a vehicle that is difficult to slow down or turn, delays in reaction time can be deadly for other people.
The health issues associated with commercial driving careers, including sleep apnea, may only serve to worsen the fatigue that drivers experience and their chances of causing a major collision. Other people may suffer major property damage losses and life-altering injuries in crashes caused by drowsy semi-truck drivers.
People affected by semi-truck collisions often need help obtaining financial justice through an insurance claim or a civil lawsuit. Obtaining support after a semi-truck crash may make it easier to demand accountability for unsafe driving practices.