How Truck Driver Fatigue Can Cause Serious Accidents on the Road

Semi-truck drivers are an essential part of the American economy. If you’ve ever walked into a store to buy something, the item likely got there on a big truck. Unfortunately, these trucks also pose dangers for those on the road. It’s only been a few months since a big truck accident in Cleveland shut down part of Interstate 71. In that instance, it wasn’t the trucker’s fault, but truck driver fatigue is still a huge problem in Ohio.

Truck Driver Fatigue Wrecks

There are several types of semi-truck accidents that can result from fatigue. It’s first important, though, to understand the scope of the problem. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that at least 13 percent of big truck accidents are related to fatigued drivers. Here are just a few of the accidents a fatigued tractor-trailer driver can cause:

• Jackknife: A driver slams on the brakes causing their trailer to skid outward towards the side of the truck.
• Rollover: After losing control of the truck, every vehicle nearby can be in danger if the trailer topples over.
• Wide turns: Fatigue can slow down mental processes, and this can result in misjudging the space needed to make a turn.
• Read-end collision: If a driver isn’t alert, they may crash into the back of a stopped vehicle.

The size of a trucks makes these accidents especially disastrous. That’s why, even though they only make up 10 percent of miles driven, they account for one in eight fatal collisions. This is why truck driver fatigue management is so essential.

Why Are Truck Drivers Fatigued?

There are truck driver fatigue laws out there. When on the job, for instance, tractor-trailer drivers are only allowed to work a certain number of hours before stopping. Unfortunately, tired drivers are still on the roads.

Here’s just a few reasons why:

• Lack of sleep: Truckers drive 500 miles a day on average. This doesn’t allow for much sleep.
• On-time delivery: People expect truck driver deliveries on time. A late delivery could cost a driver their job.
• Falsified logs: Some drivers may go longer than allowed by law by falsifying their travel logs.

Sadly, fatigue undoubtedly contributed to the more than 11,000 Ohio big truck accidents in 2016.

Can a Truck Accidents Lawyer Help?

Whether a trucking company was negligent in their hiring or a driver simply didn’t realize how tired he was, you should receive compensation for your big truck injury. If you or a loved one has been hurt in this way, you need to find a truck accident lawyer immediately.

At Friedman, Domiano & Smith, our truck crash lawyers are experienced in taking on big truck companies. If you believe truck driver fatigue may have caused your accident, contact us for a free consultation today.