Fatigue is one of the most pervasive and dangerous problems in the commercial trucking industry. Despite federal regulations limiting driving hours, fatigued truck drivers continue to cause thousands of serious and fatal crashes each year.
The Numbers Are Staggering
According to the FMCSA, driver fatigue is a contributing factor in approximately 13% of all commercial truck crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified fatigue as a 'pervasive problem' in transportation safety, estimating that fatigue-related crashes result in approximately 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and 100,000 police-reported crashes annually.
Why Truck Driver Fatigue Is So Dangerous
A fatigued truck driver operating an 80,000-pound vehicle is essentially a missile on the highway. Fatigue impairs reaction time, judgment, and attention — effects that are comparable to driving under the influence of alcohol. Studies show that being awake for 18 hours produces impairment equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%, and being awake for 24 hours is equivalent to a BAC of 0.10% — well above the legal limit.
Hours of Service Regulations
The FMCSA has established Hours of Service (HOS) regulations designed to prevent fatigued driving. These rules limit driving to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, require a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and impose weekly limits on total driving time.
However, violations of these regulations are disturbingly common. Some drivers falsify their electronic logging devices (ELDs). Some trucking companies pressure drivers to exceed legal limits. And some drivers use stimulants to stay awake beyond their natural limits, creating additional safety risks.
What to Do After a Truck Accident
If you're involved in a truck accident where driver fatigue may have been a factor, evidence preservation is critical. The truck's electronic logging device, the driver's logbooks, cell phone records, and the trucking company's dispatch records can all provide evidence of fatigue or HOS violations.
An experienced truck accident attorney will move quickly to preserve this evidence before it's destroyed or overwritten. At Bond Legal, we have extensive experience handling complex truck accident cases and know exactly what evidence to pursue and how to obtain it.
Contact us immediately if you've been injured in a truck accident. Time is critical — evidence can disappear within days.
