Illinois roadways are packed with heavily-loaded trucks driven by men and women who have had little to no sleep. Sleep deprivation vastly impacts a driver’s reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination and decision-making abilities. Many truck drivers don’t realize they’re drowsy until it’s too late.
Federal safety regulations are consistently overlooked by the trucking industry. Logbooks are sometimes tampered with to cover up the fact that truckers in charge of 80,000-pound vehicles are driving drowsy and putting lives in danger. The number of large truck accidents in the U.S. that resulted in fatalities rose from 3,380 in 2009 to 3,964 in 2014. Trucking regulations have become increasingly lax, causing grossly negligent accidents and deaths.
Illinois Truck Accidents
The Illinois Department of Transportation released a truck accident report for 2014, which states:
- 11,585 motor vehicle crashes were caused by semi-trucks in 2014
- 86 of these accidents were fatal, which lead to 95 deaths
- 2,617 people were injured in truck-related crashes
- 387 accidents caused 496 people to suffer incapacitating injuries
Of those injured in semi-truck crashes:
- 549 were truck occupants.
- 2,030 were in other vehicles.
- 24 were pedestrians.
- 14 were bicyclists.
Many of these accidents likely involved drowsy driving, and at least 3 to 4 people are killed for every truck driver fatality.
Sleep Apnea and Truck Accidents
Obstructive sleep apnea affects an estimated 25 million Americans and more than 20 percent of commercial truck drivers. Sleep apnea causes one’s breathing to pause several times an hour and prevents a full night’s rest (7 to 9 uninterrupted hours). This leads to sleepiness during the day and causes one to be less alert while driving. Sleep apnea rates rise in men and women who are overweight or obese.
Truckers have a higher probability of sleep apnea due to the prevalence of obesity—2 out of 3 truckers are overweight or obese. Untreated sleep apnea makes truck drivers five times more likely to crash according to a study conducted by Harvard. Motor vehicle drivers should be on high alert for semi-trucks, trailer tractors and other large trucks that are drifting in and out of lanes or off the road.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), drowsy driving is the cause of approximately 1 out of 6 fatal traffic accidents. Additionally, 1 in 10 drivers admit to falling asleep behind the wheel within the last year. Driving without at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep puts one at an increased risk of an accident and is considered worse than driving while intoxicated. Truck drivers are especially at risk due to stringent pick-up and drop-off times and long hours on monotonous highways.
Truck Industry Safety Regulations
Truck drivers have an extremely taxing job. They are paid by the load not by the hour and drive at least 70 hours per week. Many drivers push past the mandated 70-hour limit in order to meet strict deadlines. This push to put product over people is largely responsible for the rise in deaths across the United States and parts of Canada. Fatality rates more than double during nighttime driving, which is shocking considering fewer vehicles are on the roadways.
The trucking industry has repeatedly pushed beyond the limits of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations. Lobbyists seek to stretch the maximum length of double trailers from 28 feet each to 33 feet each. This would put a double trailer at the length of an eight-story building. With the death toll continually rising from truck accidents, adding more weight and length to these heavy vehicles would only put more lives at risk.
Double trailers are currently the most dangerous trucks on the road with an 11 percent increase in crash fatalities over single trailer trucks. These double trucks are so dangerous many refer to them as “widow makers.”
Smaller trucking companies have up to a 20 percent failure rate at breaking safety rules and driving limitations in order to reach maximum profits. The trucking industry thrives on lax safety regulations and wants younger drivers (18 years old instead of 21) to drive heavier trucks for longer periods of time.
Holding Drivers and Companies Accountable for Catastrophic Truck Accidents
It’s difficult to prove that a truck driver was driving while tired, as few are willing to admit they were working on little to no sleep. Sometimes logbooks are even manipulated to make it appear that a driver was following protocol. There is no way to test a driver for being tired like there is for drugs and alcohol. Investigators are forced to look for other indicators of sleep-related truck accidents such as:
- Cellphone records
- Weigh station logs
- Accounts of swerving
- Proof that the truck veered off the roadway
- Evidence the driver failed to brake to avoid the crash
- Lack of skid marks on the road
Sleep-related truck accidents are more prevalent than many people realize. These accidents are a serious issue for the State of Illinois and nationwide. Truck accidents are often preventable, and driver awareness could save lives in the future.
Surviving family members and victims of truck accidents are eligible for a wide array of compensation for the negligent actions of the truck driver and/or the trucking company. These reparations can include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Permanent disability
- Lost wages
- Loss of income
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
Truck accident lawsuits require extensive knowledge of accident law. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one, consider scheduling a free consultation with an experienced truck accident attorney.
This article was submitted by the Sklare Law Group, a personal injury law firm in Chicago that represents family members and victims of truck accidents throughout Illinois. For more information, please visit their website – www.sklarelaw.com – and contact them for a free consultation.
