{"id":48699,"date":"2019-09-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3023625-fork.findlaw6.flsitebuilder.com\/blog\/2019\/09\/the-very-real-dangers-of-trucker-fatigue\/"},"modified":"2019-09-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-09-09T05:00:00","slug":"the-very-real-dangers-of-trucker-fatigue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wiselawoffices.com\/es\/the-very-real-dangers-of-trucker-fatigue\/","title":{"rendered":"The very real dangers of trucker fatigue"},"content":{"rendered":"

Any fatigued driver puts everyone else on the road at risk. But when that tired driver is behind the wheel of a large semi-truck, barreling down the highways with tens of thousands of pounds of cargo in tow, the danger can increase.<\/p>\n

It’s a reality that is painfully clear following the recent truck crash that killed an Illinois state trooper. Authorities claim the truck driver charged in the incident – who pleaded not guilty – told investigators<\/a> he had been driving since 5:30 a.m., explained he had gotten off the road to take a nap earlier that day, and said he had fallen asleep while behind the wheel just before the deadly crash. This type of scenario isn’t uncommon.<\/p>\n

Fatigue as a factor in truck crashes<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration considers fatigue to be a major factor in large truck crashes. A study<\/a> by the agency found fatigue was an associated factor in about 13% of large truck crashes included In the report. In total, that amounted to about 18,000 trucks crashing because of a tired driver.<\/p>\n

This is a known problem, and there are federal guidelines capping how long a trucker can work before taking a break.<\/p>\n

For example, a trucker cannot drive for more than 11 hours in a 14-hour period without then taking a minimum of a 10-hour break. In addition, a trucker can not drive for more than 70 hours total in a week. Once they hit that mark, they must take at least 34 hours away before starting another job.<\/p>\n

C<\/strong>rashes due to fatigue still happen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Federal rest guidelines aren’t preventing crashes due to trucker fatigue. There are a number of factors that can make someone drowsy, including:<\/p>\n