Truck drivers have a responsibility unlike any other driver on the road. While the rest of us must operate and control 3,000-pound vehicles safely, truck drivers are responsible for operating 80,000-pound big rig trucks on a daily basis. These trucks do not brake as easily, they don’t corner as well, and they are more dangerous in high wind and bad weather. As such, truck drivers must keep 100% of their attention on the road at all times, in order to avoid devastating trucking accidents.
Unfortunately, long hours on the road takes its toll on many truck drivers and an estimated 1 in 4 truckers has admitted to falling asleep while driving during the previous month. Even though the FMCSA requires that truck drivers have adequate amounts of time to sleep and rest while driving these vehicles, the average trucker only gets 5 hours of sleep a night—far below the average needed.
Sleep loss has been proven to be deadly, not just for truckers, but for all drivers. Experts and researchers have declared that sleep loss impacts performance and reaction time similar to alcohol. After 24 hours awake, the effect is equivalent to having a blood alcohol level of 0.10%.
Truck driver error is the main cause of trucking accidents, accounting for 87.2% of all trucking accidents. Due to the sheer weight and size of these vehicles, trucking accidents often cause major injuries to the driver and passengers of the car that is involved. These injuries are often life-threatening and often result in a lifetime of pain and disability.
If you believe truck driver fatigue is the reason for your horrific Fort Lauderdale trucking accident, it is important to act quickly. Valuable evidence can be lost or destroyed quickly that your attorney may need to prove your case. Retaining legal representation immediately following your accident will ensure that your lawyer is able to obtain trucking logs, black box data, and any other evidence that is needed.
