From icy roads to driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, there are a plethora of reasons why truck accidents happen. However, some are the result of truck driver fatigue, which occurs when truckers are dangerously tired and put the lives of others at risk by getting behind the wheel. In Van Nuys, California, truck drivers have a responsibility to stay off the road if they are too tired and should understand the risks that driving while fatigued presents.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, driver fatigue was seen as a contributing factor or likely cause in almost 20 percent of significant accident investigations carried out by the NTSB over the course of 2001 until 2012. Moreover, fatigue is especially prevalent in the trucking industry, since drivers spend a considerable amount of time on the road.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has outlined a number of ways that those who drive large trucks can prevent truck driver fatigue. In addition to ensuring that they get a sufficient amount of sleep before working, truck drivers may want to avoid some medications and realize that certain habits, such as consuming coffee to stay awake, may offer false feelings of alertness. Drivers should also realize some of the signs that they are fatigued, such as poor eyesight and excessive yawning.
While all traffic accidents have the potential to cause significant problems, crashes involving a large truck are especially dangerous. After all, with the large size of a semi and the amount of time it takes a driver to slow down, these wrecks have claimed an upsetting number of lives and resulted in many serious injuries.
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