What is the Leading Cause of Truck Accidents?

Driver impairment, in one form or another, is the leading cause of truck accidents. Usually, impaired drivers know they shouldn’t get behind the wheel. But truck drivers are under such enormous financial and other pressure to complete their runs on time that they often disregard the safety of others, hope for the best, and drive while impaired.

The premeditation element inherent in driver impairment truck accidents allows a Maitland personal injury lawyer to more easily obtain maximum compensation in these cases. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Usually, a shipping or transportation company is financially responsible for these damages, because of the respondeat superior (let the master answer) rule.

Excessive Fatigue

Since the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has consistently watered down HOS (hours of service) safety rules. These rules limit the amount of time that truckers can drive. Because of these rollbacks, authorities frequently don’t strictly enforce the few rules that remain on the books.

So, excessive fatigue is a major issue for truck drivers who are desperate to deliver loads on time and obtain bonuses.

Drowsiness and alcohol impairment affect the body and brain in basically the same way. Both conditions cloud judgement and impair motor skills. Furthermore, there’s no quick fix for either condition. Only time cures alcohol impairment and only sleep cures fatigue.

A fully-loaded large truck weighs over 80,000 pounds. Drivers must be at their best, physically, mentally, and otherwise, to safely operate such massive machines.

Drugs

The different kinds of driver impairment often overlap. For example, excessive fatigue often overlaps with drug use.

To counteract the effects of fatigue, many truckers use amphetamines behind the wheel. About half of truckers admit they use these dangerous stimulants.

Sometimes, amphetamines help truckers feel more alert. However, they don’t address the underlying effects of fatigue, which were discussed above. Furthermore, these pills accentuate these effects. Amphetamines make users suspicious and edgy, further impairing their judgment abilities and motor skills.

Additionally, when these drugs unexpectedly wear off, the users normally crash fast and hard, leaving them much worse off than they were before.

Other drug abuse issues are largely unintentional. Many prescription medications, such as pain pills, have powerful side-effects. Because truckers are in such a hurry to get started, they often get behind the wheel before these side-effects wear off.

Alcohol

Very few truckers drink on the job. However, because of the aforementioned financial pressure, many truckers hit the road before they’re completely sober.

The impairing effects of alcohol usually last long after the impairing effects of drugs dissipate. The kidneys can only process about one drink per hour. The remainder of any alcohol goes directly into the blood, where it stays for several hours, at the minimum.

Furthermore, sleepy people feel sleepy and people on drugs feel high. But many alcohol-impaired people don’t feel impaired, until the judgement and motor skill impairment becomes apparent at the worst possible moment.

Contact a Diligent Orange County Lawyer

Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Dr. Phillips, contact Goldman Law, P.A. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.

Source:

nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drug-impaired-driving