Why is drowsy driving so dangerous for truckers?

Seeing semi-trucks rumbling down the highways of North Carolina is not unusual, and for the most part, semi-trucks and passenger vehicles share the road safely. However, truckers are on-the-clock while driving and may be tempted to make the risky decision of driving when they are tired in order to make their delivery early. This could lead to a serious or even fatal drowsy driving accident.

Driving overnight disrupts our circadian rhythm

Our bodies are naturally drowsy overnight and in the mid to late afternoon. This drowsiness is called our circadian rhythm. Some truckers choose to drive overnight when traffic is lighter. However, should they become drowsy their response time will be slowed, which could lead to a truck accident. Moreover, the longer a person is on the road the greater their drowsiness can be.

Be careful with medications

When we have a cold, cough, allergies or other medical condition, we may take an over-the-counter medication or a prescription medication to ease our symptoms. It is important for truckers to examine the packages of any medication they take before driving. This is because some medications have drowsiness as a side effect. According to one study of those involved in truck accidents, 17% of trucker respondents reported that they had an over-the-counter drug in their system at the time of their crash.

Do not be fooled by alertness tricks

We all like to think we have a trick to stay awake while driving, and truckers are no exception. They might drink a caffeinated beverage, roll down the window for some cool air, play loud music or smoke a cigarette. However, they should not be fooled by these alertness tricks. They rarely work in the long-run and could make a driver overconfident leading them to continue driving even though they are drowsy.

Learn more about truck accidents

Truck accidents have the capacity to be catastrophic. After all, a fully loaded semi-truck weighing tens of thousands of pounds has sheer physics on its side in the event of a crash. Those who are injured in a truck accident in Fayetteville may have many questions. We invite readers of this blog to explore our firm’s website to learn more about our approach to truck accidents.