Tired truck drivers are a danger to other motorists

Tired truck drivers are a danger to other motorists
On Behalf of Bradley, Drendel & Jeanney • Aug 30, 2017
Readers of this Reno personal injury legal blog have probably experienced this situation: while driving down the road, their attention may start to wander as their eyelids begin to feel a little heavy. When exhaustion begins to influence one’s ability to drive, most individuals stop their vehicles, take a break from driving and either rest or engage in other activities that may stimulate their attention and make it once again safe for them to operate their cars.

However, in one occupation, stopping and taking a break from driving can be a costly matter. Truck drivers and drivers of other commercial vehicles are often placed on schedules that may require them to cover certain distances during specific periods of time. If they fall behind schedule they may feel compelled to drive their rigs when their bodies are too tired and their minds too distracted from the important task of operating their trucks.

Truck driver fatigue is a dangerous problem that can cause accidents on American highways and roads. As such, the federal government has enacted hours of service requirements that limit how long drivers of commercial vehicles may operate between their periods of rest. The hours of service mandates were created in order to prevent commercial drivers from driving while tired and causing injuries to others.

In order for a commercial or truck drivers to demonstrate compliance with the federal hours of service requirements they must often complete a log book that indicates when they were driving, when they were resting and how they spent their time during a given day. Log books can be useful pieces of evidence for individuals who have been hurt in truck accidents and may give injured victims’ opportunities to show fault on the part of the commercial and truck drivers whose actions caused their harm.