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What makes truck accidents so common?

On Behalf of | Jul 1, 2021 | Personal Injury |

Most people do not think much about how their favorite products show up on grocery store shelves in Warrenton. Generally, at some point it is likely that these products travelled to the grocery store on a semi-truck. Truckers often drive long hours on the road to make as many deliveries as possible as quickly as possible. This can lead to truck driver fatigue and end in a drowsy driving accident.

Overnight driving disrupts our circadian rhythm

Many truckers choose to drive overnight when traffic is lighter. However, doing so disrupts their circadian rhythm, which is the time of day where we are naturally drowsy. Most people are naturally sleepy between midnight and 6:00 a.m. and again from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Driving during these hours could have a negative impact on a trucker’s short-term memory, ability to concentrate, reaction time and ability to stay awake. It is easy to see how this could lead to a drowsy driving accident.

Some medications cause drowsiness

When we have allergies, a cold or a chronic medical condition we often reach for an allergy pill, cold medicine or a medication our doctor prescribed. However, many prescription medications and over-the-counter medications list drowsiness as a side-effect. A trucker who is under one of these medications may cause a drowsy driving accident. According to one study 17% of truckers surveyed reported that they had used an over-the-counter medication at the time of a collision.

Alertness tricks rarely work

Many truckers think they have the key to staying awake behind the wheel. They may think drinking a cup of coffee, rolling down the window for fresh air, playing loud music or smoking a cigarette will keep them awake if they are drowsy. However, these tricks do not work in the long run and may give truckers a false sense of confidence leading to a drowsy driving accident.

Learn more about truck accidents

A truck accident is usually catastrophic. After all, a small passenger vehicle is simply no match against a semi-truck weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Those who are injured in a truck accident or who have lost a loved one in a truck accident may want to learn more about their rights and options. Our firm’s personal injury webpage may be a useful resource in such situations.