Truck Driver Fatigue
Each year truck crashes kill over 5,000 people and injure almost 150,000 more on our nation's roads and highways. Nearly one in four passenger vehicle deaths in multiple-vehicle collisions involve a large truck. In 1998, 98% of the fatalities in two-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles and large trucks were occupants of the passenger vehicles. Large trucks are involved in multiple-vehicle fatal crashes at twice the rate of passenger vehicles.
Furthermore, almost 800 large truck occupants, almost all of them drivers, die each year in these crashes. In recent years, almost one of every four fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants has been the result of multi-vehicle collisions involving a large truck. Driver fatigue and drowsiness are conditions that result in reckless behavior such as failure to keep in the proper lane and running off the road. Understanding the factors that contribute to truck driver fatigue accidents can help lead to improvements in safety standards that benefit all drivers.
Hours of Service Violations
Tired truckers are of such concern that in April of 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) instituted new hours of service regulations to curb truckers' problems with fatigue. (Read the Federal Hours of Service Regulations here.) While these laws have helped reduce the number of accidents, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board still blames driver fatigue as a probable factor in 20-40% of truck crashes. Preventing these hours of service violations directly leads to lives saved - lives like yours and mine.
If you or a family member has suffered a truck accident involving truck driver fatigue, contact the trucking accident lawyers of David, Bethune and Jones immediately to protect your rights. Get peace of mind with the help you deserve. In the process, help put an end to accidents caused by truckers asleep at the wheel.
