Truck Driver Fatigue Is a Safety Issue

Truck Driver Fatigue Is a Safety Issue

By Pyle Law, Reviewed by E. Thomas Pyle December 31 2020 4:11 pm

Drowsy drivers are dangerous drivers, and when the drowsy driver in question is a truck driver, the matter is that much more serious. Drowsy truckers are more inattentive to the road ahead and require increased reaction times – both of which can prove deadly. 

Truck drivers maneuver massive machines across our highways and byways, and in order to do so safely, they need to be well-rested and attentive. Fatigued truck drivers are dangerous truck drivers, and this is exactly why there are careful hours-of-service restrictions in place for them. If a fatigued truck driver leaves you or someone you love injured in a truck accident, you need an experienced Kansas personal injury attorney in your corner. 

Fatigued Truckers

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) shares all of the following about truck driver fatigue:

• Fatigue can cause performance deficits behind the wheel.
• Fatigue can decrease attention and increase response times, which is a real concern for truck drivers who are barreling through traffic at highway speeds and who require longer stopping distances in the first place. 
• Fatigue increases the risk that an accident will happen. 

There is no room for doubt – fatigued truckers are dangerous truckers, and to put a finer point on the matter, consider the following statistics reported by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• Drowsy driving claimed nearly 800 lives in 2017.
• In 2017, 91,000 traffic accidents involved drowsy driving.
• Between the years 2013 and 2017, there were 4,111 traffic fatalities involving drowsy driving. 

Fatigued truck drivers make our roads more dangerous for everyone who travels on them. 

Your Injuries

The injuries associated with truck accidents include the most serious injuries, such as:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries – A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can alter the course of your life in devastatingly unpredictable ways. Many sufferers experience physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments that can change their lives and abilities. The physical and emotional consequences of serious TBIs can haunt their victims into the future with overarching health concerns. 
• Spinal Cord Injuries – Spinal cord injuries can happen anywhere on the spinal cord, and they are often as painful as they are physically debilitating. Spinal cord injuries can lead to a lifetime of decreased range of motion, but if the spinal cord is severed, the injury can lead to permanent paralysis in the area of the body that correlates with the injury site. 

Determine who pays for crash damages: Read Who Is Liable in a Truck Accident? to learn how truck drivers, carrier companies, cargo loaders, and parts manufacturers share financial responsibility for collisions.

An Experienced Kansas Personal Injury Attorney Is Here to Help

Truck accidents are the deadliest accidents on our roads, and if you or a loved one has been so injured, you need professional legal counsel to help ensure that you obtain just compensation for your damaging injuries. The formidable Kansas personal injury attorney at Pyle Law has an impressive track record helping clients like you successfully recover on the full scope of their damages, and we’re here for you, too. We’re on your side, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 620-374-9299 for more information today.