Tired Truckers Cause Serious Accidents

Truckers often feel the pressure to drive hours at a time to ensure that their deliveries arrive in a timely manner. They are typically paid by the mile, which pushes them to drive further and further, even when they feel the effects of exhaustion. Federal regulations allow truckers to drive for 11 hours straight, even though there have been studies showing that many large truck accidents occur after the 10th hour behind the wheel.

The Federal Carrier Safety Administration has established rules regarding Hours of Service (HOS), which specifies how long a trucker can drive at a time. These rules are designed to help truckers battle fatigue that can lead to truck crashes and serious injuries or death.

Truck drivers operate vehicles that weigh up to 80,000 pounds that can potentially be deadly weapons. When a truck hits another vehicle, the impact of that accident often has tragic results. Several truck accidents over the years have brought to light the problem of tired truckers and large truck accidents. Tired truckers have difficulty concentrating on the road and often have slower reactions to hazards, which can prohibit them from taking measures to avoid collisions.

Various studies have been conducted regarding fatigued truckers and crashes and the results differ. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, as many as 30 percent to 40 percent of large truck crashes may be linked to truck driver fatigue. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that only 5.5 percent of all truck accidents are fatigue-related.

Some truck drivers have complained that it is not easy to locate places to stop and take breaks, which is required by federal and state regulations. Truck stops only have so much room and some drivers will choose to break the rules.

It is believed that truckers sometimes falsify logbooks, as the only way for an officer to verify a trucker’s hours-of-service is by checking the logbook or timecard.

Truck accidents are a major problem in Tennessee. According to the Federal Carrier Safety Administration, there were close to 2,000 injuries caused by truck crashes and 149 fatalities in Tennessee in 2007 alone.

If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident in Tennessee, contact the experienced truck accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates at (800) 337-HURT (4878) or (615) 356-2000 for expert legal advice. Truck accident cases can be complex and we have extensive experience representing injured victims of large truck accidents.

Phillip Miller & Associates
631 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: (615) 356-2000
Fax: (615) 242-1739
Toll Free: (800) 337-HURT
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