Drowsy drivers tend to have poor reaction times and make otherwise avoidable mistakes. Certainly, a driver who nods off behind the wheel is a severe risk to those around them. But even a driver who is suffering from fatigue – while remaining awake – may not see changes in traffic conditions or make other errors, such as overlooking a stop sign.
This can be a significant issue for truck drivers. For one thing, these drivers have deadlines that they have to meet. Someone who is just driving for personal reasons is free to pull over if they’re too tired to continue safely. But a truck driver may feel excessive outside pressure to continue driving, even when they know it’s dangerous, because they need to make that deadline.
What do the statistics tell us?
In addition to the deadline issues, some of the statistics or notable characteristics of drowsy driving accidents indicate that truck drivers may face a significant level of risk.
For example, most of these accidents happen in the early morning hours, between midnight and 6 AM. Additionally, the majority of drowsy driving crashes involve single drivers without passengers. Finally, highways and rural roads are frequent locations for these accidents, more so than city streets.
As you can see, truck drivers check all three of these boxes. They may be driving on an early shift in the morning or continuing to drive late at night to meet a deadline. Most truckers are driving alone, so there are no passengers to act as a distraction or keep them awake. They also frequently use highways and interstate systems to travel through rural parts of the country as they make deliveries.
If you were involved in an accident caused by a truck driver, you may have suffered severe injuries in the crash. Be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.