Drug and alcohol problems among truckers are too common

Reno residents might think that since truck drivers need to go through extra training in order to operate their commercial vehicles safely, they would never think of getting behind the wheel of their big rigs while drunk or on drugs. Unfortunately, drunk and drugged truck driving is still too common on the highways of both Nevada and other states. Among the almost 52,000 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2016, about 4,150 were operating a large commercial truck at the time. Of those, 84, or a little over 2 out of 100, of these drivers had over .08 blood alcohol content at the time of the accident, making them legally drunk.

These statistics did not account for whether other truck drivers were on illegal drugs or even otherwise legitimate medication that could have interfered with their driving.

While these numbers are admittedly less than similar statistics for drivers of passenger cars, the reality is that 2 out of 100 wrecks is a disturbing statistic when one considers the large number of truck drivers on the road. Drunk and drugged truck driving is absolutely unacceptable, especially since drivers receive extra safety training and the number of truck accidents involving drunk truck drivers really should be much closer to zero.

If a Nevada resident is injured or killed in a truck accident, then the victim or surviving family members should definitely ask the right questions to see if the truck driver had been drinking or was on some kind of drug or medication before the accident. Doing so may increase their chances of getting the compensation they both need and deserve for things like medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.