An 18-wheeler is a complex piece of machinery to operate even when the driver is fully alert and in control of it. When the driver isn't in control, like when they're too tired to drive safely, the potential for serious accidents increases dramatically. Unfortunately, for one reason or another many commercial drivers do end up dangerously sleepy at the wheel—so how often does that driver fatigue cause truck accidents?
Answer: Depending on the source, driver fatigue may be responsible for anywhere between 13% and 40% of all commercial truck accidents.
Sources may disagree somewhat on the exact figures, but if they're right that fatigue accounts for more than a tenth of the thousands of annual commercial wrecks, then it's a major concern. In this article we'll look closer at the statistics, the causes of fatigued driving, and what people hurt by fatigued truck accidents should do.
Tired Truck Drivers Are A Widespread and Dangerous Problem
As you probably noticed, estimates between sources don't necessarily agree on exactly how many truck accidents involved driver fatigue. The inability to come up with an exact number of accident caused by fatigue can be explained by studies looking at different variables; some may only have considered fatal accidents where fatigue was the primary factor, while others may have looked at injury crashes in which fatigue was one of several contributing issues.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 5,000 people are killed and 150,000 more injured each year due to accidents involving 18-wheelers. Furthermore, fatal multi-vehicle accidents involving large trucks reportedly occur at twice the rate of those only involving passenger cars. In fact, nearly 25 percent of fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants come from multi-vehicle wrecks involving a large commercial vehicle.
Those statistics are about 18-wheeler accidents with any cause, but fatigued truck drivers are responsible for their share: according to the FMCSA, they account for roughly 750 deaths and 20,000 injuries every year.
The rate at which truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel is also alarming. In one study conducted by the Institute of Traffic Safety Management and Research in New York, 593 long-distance truck drivers were interviewed randomly at rest areas as well as roadside truck safety inspections. Shockingly, 47 percent of the drivers surveyed said they had fallen asleep behind the wheel at one point or another during their career, while another 25 percent said they had done so within the past year.
"But aren't truck drivers required to take breaks?" Absolutely. Federal law imposes strict guidelines on how long a commercial truck driver can remain at the wheel before resting. However, the government can't be in every truck cab all the time. Pressure from employers and desire to log more miles for more pay have made many truckers ignore the rules. When that happens, they run a major risk of nodding off at the wheel and endangering not just themselves, but everyone else sharing the road with them.
What Else Causes Driver Fatigue?
Drivers falling asleep in motion isn't always a matter of unfair company rules or disregard for hours of service regulations. A number of other factors may contribute to a truck driver drifting off at the wheel, such as:
- Intoxication - Alcohol and many types of drugs—prescription and otherwise—act as depressants, causing the the user to become sleepy. Even some over the counter medicines like antihistamines can cause drowsiness, and their labels typically say not to use heavy machinery while under their influence. A 40-ton truck certainly qualifies as heavy machinery, and if it crashes because its driver fell asleep the damage can be catastrophic.
- Medical conditions - Certain medical conditions can make it harder for truck drivers to stay awake and alert. If these conditions aren't diagnosed or managed properly, they can increase the risk of falling asleep while driving. These conditions include:
- Sleep apnea - Sleep apnea can be particularly dangerous for truck drivers because it can lead to daytime drowsiness even when the operator has recently rested. The lack of quality sleep makes it hard for a trucker to remain alert during a long trip, and the condition can even prove fatal over time.
- Insomnia - Insomnia makes it tough to get restful sleep, if the sufferer manages to fall asleep at all. They may feel constantly tired or unfocused, and have slower reaction times. The exhaustion caused by insomnia also tends to build over time, increasing the risk of falling asleep at random and inconvenient times.
- Diabetes - Untreated diabetes can cause extreme tiredness in several ways. When blood sugar levels are too high, the body can't use glucose properly for energy, which leaves a person feeling weak and fatigued. On the other hand, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause dizziness, confusion, and sudden drowsiness—making it dangerous for someone behind the wheel.
- Cold or Flu - Even something as common as a cold or flu can cause major fatigue as your body combats the infection. Fevers and the medications used to fight them may increase that exhaustion as well, and distraction from the discomfort is a hazard of its own.
- Boredom - Long monotonous miles on the road through static landscapes can lead to highway hypnosis, a fugue state that affects some drivers on long trips. Long-haul truckers are more prone to the condition, as they log more miles and hours on the road than other motorists.
- Poor diet/dehydration - Eating meals or snacks with lots of sugar or carbs can cause a quick spike in energy followed by a crash, leaving a driver feeling sluggish or sleepy. Skipping meals or eating at irregular times can also lead to low blood sugar, which reduces energy and focus. Meanwhile, dehydration—often caused by not drinking enough water or relying too much on caffeine—can reduce blood flow to the brain and muscles, causing tiredness, headaches, and slower reaction times.
Some of the factors listed above are a matter of choice, while others are environmental or medical. In every case, though, someone screwed up by allowing the driver to either start or continue a trip when fatigued. In cases with major medical problems, for example, the company behind the driver should have flagged them and kept him from getting behind the wheel in the first place. In every case, at least one person failed at their job if a truck driver dozes off and causes a wreck.
How Do I Prove the Truck Driver Fell Asleep?
People may want to know how anyone could prove a sleeping trucker caused their serious accident and injuries. The odds of that commercial driver still sawing logs when the police show up are slim to none, so how could the accident victim successfully convince a jury that fatigue was a factor?
In a word: Investigation. Expert accident reconstructionists can piece together the story of a commercial wreck by considering what they do and don't find at the scene. For example, if the truck hits another vehicle, body damage and debris patterns can tell experts how fast the vehicles were traveling and the angle of impact. Most crashes where drivers are awake also involve last-second attempts to brake, leaving heavy skids along the roadway that can tell investigators about speed. Sleeping drivers don't brake as they drift off-course, though, so when investigators don't find skid marks on the road that can be an important clue as well.
Physical evidence at the scene isn't the only source of helpful information; many modern trucks have on-board recording devices that can help clarify what happened. Some trucks have cameras recording the driver, and many others have dashcams pointed at the road. Virtually all modern trucks also have Electronic Control Modules (ECM), which are "black boxes" that record input data like speed and braking. When an accident occurs, the recorder freezes the moments before and after the crash.
There are many more steps to a proper truck accident investigation, but all the data it uncovers is crucial to anyone trying to prove that a negligent trucker caused their injuries. However, most people find that getting and successfully using all that evidence is far outside their wheelhouse.
Grossman Law Offices Can Help
Pretty much no matter how a commercial truck accident happens, proving it's the trucker's fault is a long battle. We outlined some of what's needed to prove a truck driver fell asleep, but getting your hands on a lot of that critical evidence means overcoming the trucking company's efforts to keep it from you. Even though you need time to heal and get your life back on track, it's urgent to launch an investigation as soon as possible. That's why it's often best to enlist the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer to handle what would probably be overwhelming on your own.
The Texas truck accident attorneys at Grossman Law Offices have gone to bat for hundreds of accident victims, and know what it takes to hold a trucking company accountable for its reckless driver. They know what evidence to look for, how to get it, and how to use it to maximize the compensation you and your loved ones deserve. If you or someone you know was hurt in a commercial truck accident, including one caused by a fatigued truck driver, please contact Grossman Law today for a free and confidential consultation. Someone is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.