Unfortunately, several hundred fatal automobile collisions occur each year throughout Indiana. Sometimes, these crashes can involve large commercial trucks. Considering that commercial vehicles are much larger than passenger cars, there can be a lot of damage left behind when fatigued truck drivers are behind the wheel.
The leading causes of truck driver fatigue
As is the case with any motorist, truck drivers are susceptible to fatigue. Several common factors by themselves or combined that cause trucker fatigue can include being sick, working extremely long hours, drunk driving or being under the influence of medication.
How fatigue affects truck drivers
One of the main effects of being a fatigued truck driver is having slower-than-normal reaction times. Since driving a commercial vehicle takes a lot of focus, even slightly delayed reactions can lead to severe big rig accidents.
Fatigued truck drivers also suffer from a diminished ability to make decisions. When fatigue kicks in, even a truck driver with decades of experience can make decisions they wouldn’t have typically made.
Another danger of truck driver fatigue is that tired drivers find it harder to pay attention. They must watch out for other drivers, pedestrians and other obstacles. Unfortunately, tired truckers can have trouble noticing these potential dangers. A truck driver missing a stoplight or yield sign could lead to fatal consequences.
The most dangerous aspect of driving while fatigued is giving in to that tiredness and falling asleep behind the wheel. It only takes a driver to fall asleep for just a few seconds for dangerous outcomes to occur. If a driver can’t wake themselves up, these collisions can often result in fatalities.
