According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 13% of collisions were caused by fatigued truck drivers. The combination of long hours and a modified internal body clock will wear truck drivers out, making them potentially dangerous. Knowing what causes their fatigue, along with how to avoid car crashes, will make the road much safer.  

What Are the Causes of Driver Fatigue?

Disrupted Sleep Schedule

Everyone has a circadian rhythm—a natural internal clock that regulates people’s wake/sleep cycle. It tells you to rise in the morning and rest at night. The rhythm makes people tired between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and again between midnight and 6 a.m. Truck drivers shouldn’t drive when they’re fatigued, but their schedules often don’t always allow them to rest. The results from a Department of Transportation study reveals that 65% of truck driver-related crashes occur between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the highest percentages occurring between noon and 3 p.m. on weekdays. 

Sleep Apnea

A lack of sleep is a leading cause for trucker fatigue, with 4% of drivers reporting they’d fallen asleep behind the wheel within the last month after receiving six hours or less sleep the previous night.

Unfortunately, sleeping for truck drivers can be difficult. Disorders like apnea disrupt the sleep cycle, keeping those experiencing the condition from getting a good night’s rest. Sleep apnea is linked to obesity, with 45% of apnea cases occurring in those with weight problems.

Due to the sedentary nature of truck driving, obesity has been an ongoing problem for the transportation industry. A truck driver’s shift can last up to 11 hours, leaving little time to exercise. To make their deliveries on time, they tend to eat convenient but unhealthy snacks while driving. This creates the obesity problem, which affects 39% of truck drivers.

Sleeper Berths

Drivers are provided a sleeper berth in their truck, which is an area where they can rest on a small bed. However, that doesn’t mean they’re receiving quality sleep.

Many drivers work in teams to make long-distance deliveries faster. Due to the movement of the vehicle and the sound of the engine, the resting driver may not get quality sleep. When they return for their shift, they’re often tired and less reactive.

Single drivers don’t fare much better. While team drivers reported more disruptions to their sleep, single drivers were still sleeping fewer hours. By not working as a team, the single driver has less time to rest in order to make their delivery schedule, leading to more driver errors and critical car crashes.

Electronic Logging Devices

All truck drivers use Electronic Logging Devices (ELD), which keeps track of their location and the hours that they’re working. To remain in accordance with the law, truck drivers must follow the 11-hour rule. Depending on their location, they may not be able to stay at a truck stop. Sometimes, they have to pull off the road quickly to keep from logging extra hours. This might leave them in a noisy or unsafe area, making them unable or too afraid to sleep.

Drug Use

Highly-regulated resting rules are made to keep truck drivers and those around them safe. While often effective, tight delivery schedules force drivers to work long hours. To stay awake during their shift and get a better quality of sleep, some use both legal and illegal drugs. Among the most common are cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol, and marijuana.

Cocaine and amphetamines help them stay awake during long-distance deliveries. While these drugs stimulate, they also interfere with the driver’s body to identify signs of fatigue and inhibit their decision-making abilities.

Truck drivers might also use alcohol and marijuana. They can be used recreationally since driving over long periods can be monotonous. Others use it to help them sleep, but may still feel the effects of these drugs when they return to their shift, making them a hazard on the road.

Since drivers often have difficulty sleeping, doctors may prescribe pills to rest when they’re off their normal circadian rhythm. However, long-term use of these medications will cause sleep inertia, which decreases cognitive capabilities and motor function, while also keeping those experiencing it in a groggy state. Sleep inertia impairs drivers, making them more likely to cause car crashes.  

What Are the Dangers of Fatigued Truck Driving?

What Are Some Possible Injuries You Could Sustain?

Due to the large size of semi-trucks—even compared to larger personal vehicles—collisions often lead to injuries to the brain, head, neck, and spine.

Brain Injuries

When struck in the head, traumatic brain injuries can occur. They fall into three categories:

• Mild: You’ll most likely remain awake, but lose consciousness for a brief period. Confusion, dizziness, headache, and memory loss are also common. It’s likely that this injury results in a concussion, which may or may not cause permanent brain damage. You might also experience a contusion, which is a bruise on the brain.  
• Moderate: You’ll experience a loss of consciousness. When awakened, you’ll be lethargic due to the minor brain swelling or bleeding. Further sleepiness is also likely. The bleeding may be the result of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, causing blood to scatter over the surface of the brain.
• Severe: Even when stimulated, you’ll remain unconscious. While you will eventually wake up, you may have a subdural or intracranial hematoma, which can cause slurred speech, seizures, depression, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may not appear until days after the initial injury.

Since all crashes are different, those involved may have a combination of symptoms and injuries, depending on how the injury occurred along with its severity.

Neck & Spinal Injuries

Injuries to the neck and spine can result in pain and reduced mobility. In serious crashes, damage to the neck and spine will result in short-term or permanent paralysis.  

Assorted Injuries

Among the most sustained injuries in truck crashes involve bruises, cuts, and broken bones. However, all of these injuries can impair your ability to work and function as you would normally—especially if infection occurs or surgery is required.

How Can You Avoid Collisions with Truck Drivers?

Obeying the rules of the road will help you avoid car crashes in general. Avoid speeding near trucks. A fatigued truck driver has a delayed reaction time and may not respond normally.

When it comes to trucks, avoid their blind spots when traveling directly in front or behind them.

If you’re passing and merging in front of them, allow for enough distance for the driver to see you. It takes semi-trucks much longer to slow down and stop, so the greater distance you have, the more likely it is that they’ll see you.

Due to the trailer, truckers can’t see what’s directly behind them. When driving behind a semi, remain 300 feet behind them. This allows the driver to see your vehicle. In case they’re driving erratically due to fatigue, the distance will allow you to avoid the truck.

When passing a semi-truck, never use their right side, where truck drivers have limited sight. They take right turns by first veering left and swinging the rig to the right due to their limited visibility. Watch their signal lights, so you don’t interpret their movement as a left turn.

When fatigued, truck drivers may swerve between lanes. Keep as much distance as you can between your two vehicles and pass it only if you have enough room.

 

 

Car crashes caused by a fatigued truck driver often result in damage to you and your vehicle. If you’ve sustained an injury because of trucker’s negligence, reach out to Salerno & Leavitt. For over 30 years, they’ve devoted themselves to the people of Omaha, NE. From providing compassionate support to their determination to holding responsible parties accountable, they’re here when you need them. For more information on Salerno & Leavitt’s services, including medical malpractice and personal injuries, visit their website. To schedule a free case evaluation, give them a call at (402) 502-9002.