Long haul truckers work punishing hours, often away from their families for weeks at a time. These hours can take their toll on anyone. To protect public safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) caps the number of hours a trucker can drive and work in a day and week. Nonetheless, trucker fatigue remains a public health crisis, and too many people are injured every day when a fatigued or drowsy trucker crashes into them.
Reach out to Chance, Forlines, Carter & King, P.C., if you were injured in a collision with a truck. An Atlanta truck accident lawyer can go over the details of the accident and determine if you have legal grounds to seek financial compensation.
How Common is Fatigue in the Trucking Industry?
Trucker fatigue is a major cause of accidents. An older study from the National Transportation Safety Board estimated that fatigue was a factor in 31% of fatal accidents. More recent studies also put fatigue close to the top of the list as a contributing critical factor in many collisions.
Maximum Hour Regulations
The FMCSA has created “hours of service” regulations to limit the amount of time each trucker is on the road. There are different sets of rules depending on whether the trucker carries only goods or people.
A trucker who hauls goods must abide by the following:
- A maximum of 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off.
- Cannot drive past the 14th consecutive hour after starting their shift, after 10 consecutive hours off.
- Must have a half-hour break after eight cumulative hours of driving.
- May not drive after 60/70 hours on duty over 7/8 consecutive days.
The FMCSA has several ways of checking to determine compliance. For example, truckers and trucking companies must keep detailed logs of when the trucker is hauling, and these logbooks should be open to inspection. Many trucks also have logging devices which can show how long the truck was in motion. Nonetheless, violations of these regulations are common.
Furthermore, the trucking industry puts constant pressure on Congress to loosen these regulations.
Why Do Truckers Drive Too Long?
Haulers face many pressures to stay out on the road, including:
- Tight deadlines. They might drive all night to reach their destination in time. This is an industry which depends on meeting deadlines to fulfill orders.
- Desire to return home. The sooner a trucker can make their delivery, the faster they can get back home. Some will drive extra hours so they can see their family sooner.
- Employer pressure. Some trucking companies push their truckers to drive too long, putting profit ahead of public safety and the wellbeing of their employees. The faster the delivery, the more trips a trucker can make in a year, which increases the trucking company’s profits.
- Inclement weather. Some truckers might try to beat a storm by driving all night so they are not delayed.
There is no excuse for driving to the point a trucker’s faculties are impaired. Tired truckers make more errors and take greater risks than a well-rested driver.
Drug Use Compounds the Problem
To stay awake, some truckers will turn to chemical substances. Caffeine is the least dangerous. Look inside the cab of many rigs and there are dozens of paper cups as the trucker chugs coffee to keep their eyelids open throughout the day. Unfortunately, caffeine and energy drinks provide only a superficial and temporary high, and some truckers crash even harder.
Other chemicals are more dangerous. A trucker might turn to amphetamines or even cocaine to maintain mental clarity. These drugs also have troubling side effects which can increase the risk of accidents.
How We Can Win Your Case
If a trucker is fatigued, we can seek financial compensation for a crash. Our review of the case will begin with your memories of what you experienced, including any observations of the trucker. Paper cups could have spilled out of the cab, or the trucker was yawning uncontrollably. Little details like that paint a larger picture of a trucker who was too tired to drive safely.
We can also contact the trucking company and request access to the trucker’s logs, as well as any electronic data from the vehicle. We go over this evidence with a magnifying glass to find any evidence to use for your case.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Truck Accident Lawyer
Chance, Forlines, Carter & King has handled many truck accident cases over the years, helping injured victims obtain compensation from truckers and other defendants. We never charge a fee unless we win your case, so reach out to us today.