Coral Gables Truck Driver Fatigue

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rules in place about specific rest times and the number of rest hours that commercial truck drivers must take in order to drive. Under current rules, truck drivers must rest for ten hours before driving again. In any seven-day week, truck drivers can drive for no more than 77 hours before taking at least two and a half days of rest before restarting their week. When truck drivers and motor carriers ignore these rules, serious truck accidents and traffic accidents in Coral Gables and other communities are all too often the result. Tired truck drivers can fall asleep behind the wheel or can make mistakes that lead to preventable traffic accidents. Due to the size and force of a truck, these vehicles cause devastating accidents and injuries. A tired driver is literally driving a weapon and can easily kill someone in a collision.

Multiple research studies have shown the dangers of fatigued driving. In fact, many studies have suggested that fatigued driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving in Coral Gables and other cities, since response times, motor skills, and decision-making are affected just as much for fatigued drivers and they are for inebriated drivers. It can be especially dangerous for truck drivers to get behind the wheel of their trucks when they are tired, because the size and force of the truck can cause devastating injuries and accidents. Unfortunately, each year people are killed or seriously injured because truck drivers choose to drive tired. If this has happened to you, you can always reach Flaxman Law Group for a free, no obligation consultation.

Commercial truck drivers may be more prone to fatigue than other drivers for number of reasons:

• They work shifts, and research has suggested that drivers with shiftwork struggle with sleep disorders and fatigue more
• They have deadlines that they must meet, and this can put pressure on them to stay driving later
• Some motor carriers may pressure drivers to drive for longer hours than is permitted under hours of service (hos) rules
• Truck driver often have a sedentary lifestyle and may be more prone to sleep apnea and other sleep disorders that can lead to fatigue
• Truck drivers spend a long time driving, which is s repetitive task and may make them prone to highway hypnosis and other issues that can make fatigue even more of a danger

Truck drivers are specially trained to understand and recognize the dangers of fatigued driving. They are taught about the risks of driving while tired and must pass tests to show that they understand federal rules regarding rest breaks and related issues. There is no excuse for drivers to take safety into their own hands and drive when they are in no physical condition to do so.

If you have been seriously injured in an accident caused by a fatigued truck driver, consult with a personal injury attorney to review your legal options. If you would like to know what legal recourse you have, you can always reach Flaxman Law Group at 866-352-9626 at any time of the day or night in order to arrange a free accident consultation.