The Dangers of Truck Driver Fatigue

In March of 2022, dash camera footage was released showing the driver of an 18-wheeler nodding off before crashing into two cars on the side of the road, and seriously injuring another individual who was changing a tire. That individual wound up pinned between his car and a concrete median. It was last reported that he’s recovering from his injuries.

The truck driver initially claimed that one of his tires blew out which caused the truck crash. However, it wasn’t until authorities reviewed his dash camera footage that the other side of the story was revealed. This footage being released to the media sparked yet another conversation about truck driver fatigue and how dangerous it is for drivers to be operating a vehicle under these conditions.

How being tired affects driving

18-wheeler accidents involving a tired driver can be catastrophic due to the size of the trucks involved. Tired, or drowsy, driving is a definite risk amongst truckers. A recent study of 20,000 truck drivers by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute estimated that up to 49% of commercial truck drivers may be at risk for sleep apnea, a condition that can cause sleepiness while driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are over 100,000 reported crashes due to drowsy driving per year, with 633 fatal crashes in 2020.

Even if a driver doesn’t end up dozing off while on the road, the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that simply being tired while driving is almost just as dangerous. Fatigue affects your concentration, reaction time, and decision-making skills. The National Safety Council (NSC) found that after driving 20 or more hours without sleep, the way a person drives is the same as driving with a 0.08% blood-alcohol concentration.

How fatigue affects truck drivers and road safety

Truck drivers specifically face a lot of fatigue because of long days on the road and their abnormal work hours. Driving as a living puts people at an increased risk of being overweight or having a larger neck size. Both of these factors lead to an increased risk of developing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea affects rest, deep sleep, and oxygen levels, meaning those who suffer from sleep apnea are likely driving while tired, drowsy, or without the ability to pay full attention.

If the driver’s work schedule is not consistent, the NSC reports, this makes them more vulnerable to drowsy driving. But even drivers with set schedules are still driving at atypical hours. Most long-haul truck drivers, for example, choose to drive early in the morning or even overnight, to avoid the crush of cars. In the morning, they’re still wiping the sleep from their eyes; by late afternoon, they’ve reached their maximum limit for driving hours per day. Or, take your average food delivery driver. Bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores all open early, which means their deliveries have to be early in the morning, too. Some of these companies will also take later deliveries, to replace what has been purchased.

The truth is that driving can be exhausting, and there is science to prove it. Even a trucker who gets a full night’s rest may be subject to fatigue.

Finally, the NHTSA also reports that most crashes involving drowsy driving occur around 6 a.m. or in the late afternoon. The truth is, most truck accidents occur between 6:00am and 6:00pm, regardless of the cause. But if a big-rig driver is drowsy behind the wheel, there are usually one of two reasons:

1. The driver is being negligent.
2. The driver’s company is pushing the driver to behave recklessly.

In either scenario, someone else bears liability for the injuries you sustain if you are hurt in a truck accident.

What is being done to prevent truck driver fatigue and accidents?

After more and more accidents, it’s become apparent that something needs to change. President Obama’s administration instituted a plan to require all trucking companies to test drivers for sleep apnea but the Trump administration rolled back the rule. Currently, there is no requirement that truck drivers be tested for sleep apnea.

The government has taken some action regarding sleep and breaks for truck drivers. A few years back, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced they were cutting back the maximum hours truck drivers can work per week from 82 to 70. While this change did not affect the vast majority of truck drivers, it certainly helped those working extreme hours. The new regulations also require drivers to rest for 34 consecutive hours once they reach that 70 hour maximum, and take a 30-minute break during the first 8 hours of a shift.

It was also proven in a study done by the State of California Department of Transportation that the number of fatigue-related crashes went down significantly when there was a rest stop within 30 miles. They compared this against informal rest stops, like shoulders of the road that truck drivers often travel. In order to make formal rest stops more easily accessible for truck drivers, Congress recently passed a bill to provide more parking for semis and commercial trucks. This should hopefully give drivers a safe place to rest and sleep to avoid more preventable fatigue-related crashes.

What can Nevada truck drivers do to reduce fatigue on the job?

Working on an inconsistent schedule can make it difficult for truck drivers to stay alert while on the road. Quick fixes like energy drinks and coffee simply delay the symptoms of fatigue, but they won’t ultimately solve the underlying problem. However, there are some ways drivers can reduce fatigue while they’re on the job.

• Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
• Pull over and take a nap if you notice yourself getting drowsy.
• Maintain a healthy diet and avoid skipping meals.
• Create a dark, cool sleeping area so you can get quality rest.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident caused by a fatigued truck driver, our truck accident attorneys in Las Vegas and Reno can help. Call the office of Claggett & Sykes Law Firm in Las Vegas at 702-333-7777, or fill out our contact form. Or, if you have suffered an injury in northern Nevada, call our Reno truck accident attorneys at 775-322-2923.