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Truck Driver Fatigue: How to Avoid an 18-Wheeler Accident

Anyone who has ever worked a night shift can tell you how harrowing it can be. The unnatural sleep schedule, physical stress, and inverted internal clock alone can take months to recover from, even before the stress of the job comes into play.

But what if that job involved driving, often up to twelve hours at a time?

Truck driving is a stressful occupation, and injury attorneys in DC know that the responsibilities of American truckers are especially high in the nation’s capital. What people may not realize is that it’s also physically demanding—the bodily stress and constant concentration on the road ask a lot of the driver.

As a result, drivers also suffer from dangerous levels of sleep deprivation—often without realizing it. For example:

• The inverted hours and lack of sleep that truck drivers experience during night driving contribute to obesity, which studies have linked to sleep apnea. This means that the little sleep that drivers do get will be not deep enough for proper rest.
• Long periods of driving can cause back problems, muscle spasms, irritability, and eyestrain. Truckers may be tempted to ignore these symptoms in order to make their shipping deadlines, rather than take much-needed rest stops to stretch and refresh themselves.
• Some highway routes are ill-equipped for truck traffic, offering no open rest stops, or even truck-sized parking spaces, so the driver can pull off the road. In these cases, drowsy truckers may keep driving for hours, intending to stop “in the next few miles.”

Unfortunately, you can’t control another driver’s behavior. So what can you do to avoid a truck accident in Virginia?

• If a truck is showing erratic behavior—swerving, drifting, sudden braking—call 911.
• If you can read it safely, get the number posted on the back of the vehicle.
• Always give trucks a wide berth, particularly in the late night to early hours of the morning.
• Trucking companies are responsible for their drivers’ education. This means regulatory rules and procedures, policies, and fatigue management.
• Newer trucks can be equipped with video recorders. When installed, drivers should both use and know how to operate them.

For more information on Virginia 18-wheeler accidents and to schedule a free consultation, contact Shevlin Smith today at (703) 591-0067.

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