Truck Driver Fatigue as a Accident Factor

On-the-job fatigue will be a factor in many accidents, but it becomes a more critical issue when it relates to 80,000-pound moving vehicles.

There is little question that driving a big rig for hours and miles on end can be fatiguing to the truck driver. Every driver who has driven on trips can relate to the physical and mental fatigue of driving long distances.

The monotony of driving alone over weeks, months, and years can also contribute to the fatigue factor. There is without question a fatigue factor in a large percentage of commercial vehicle crashes.

Experts have opined that at least 90% of 18-wheeler wrecks involve driver error, and in many, if not most, cases, fatigue can be a contributing factor to the error. Even with the best efforts of the Department of Transportation and the ever-updated Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, fatigue remains a problem that cannot be easily solved by regulation.

Studies have shown that mental acuity decreases with the increase in hours spent on the job, particularly in monotonous situations. The best solution for driving fatigue is for the driver to pull over and take a break.

Unfortunately, frequent stops are generally not profitable for truck drivers and trucking companies, and many truckers push the envelope even when they may be mentally fatigued. As with all accidents, hindsight is usually 20/20; however, prudent motor carriers seek to train drivers to reduce accidents and increase both profits and productivity.