Signs of Truck Driver Fatigue

Truck driving involves long, often boring, hours alone on the road for a truck driver. Long-haul trucking can require dozens of hours of driving to complete a trip. The risk of truck driver fatigue is high. Truck drivers are more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel than other drivers due to so much time on the road, odd sleeping/waking hours, sleep apnea and sleep deprivation. If you share the road with commercial truckers in Texas, always be on the lookout for signs of truck driver fatigue.

Drifting Over the Line

One of the most common signs of a drowsy driver is the inability to stay within the white lines of the road. A tired driver may doze off behind the wheel or close his or her eyes long enough to stop following the twists and turns of the road. If you notice a large truck drifting in and out of its lane, drifting into your lane, hitting the rumble strips on the side of the road, or crossing a median into oncoming traffic, the driver may have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Speeding

A driver who knows he or she is fatigued may try to make it to his or her next stop as quickly as possible so the driver can rest. This can lead to a commercial truck exceeding posted speed limits for large trucks in Texas. A tired truck driver may also fail to notice his or her increasing speed or erratic driving behaviors. A speeding trucker could cause a catastrophic collision. If a speeding truck driver causes an accident, information from the truck’s black box could prove the truck’s speed at the time of impact.

Tailgating

Someone who is driving while drowsy may have a reduced sense of what is happening around him or her. Depth perception and reaction times may be off, resulting in the driver following another car too closely. If you notice a truck driver tailgating other drivers or coming to abrupt stops, these could be signs of driver fatigue. Tailgating can be deadly in a large truck, as the truck could crush the back of a smaller car or ride over its rear (override accident) in a rear-end accident.

Abrupt Braking

Truck drivers receive special training in how to come to stops in large commercial trucks. This is important, as large trucks use air disc brakes and have significantly less stopping power than passenger cars. The average truck takes about twice as long as a normal car to come to a stop due to its heavy weight. A prudent and alert truck driver will press the brakes well in advance when he or she sees taillights. A drowsy truck driver, however, may slam on the brakes at the last minute due to delayed reaction times.

What to Do If You Suspect Truck Driver Fatigue

Keep a safe distance away from a truck driver who is showing signs of fatigue. Stay far enough behind the truck to hit the brakes if the truck swerves or crashes in front of you. Call 911 and report a possible drowsy or drunk truck driver. Give the police the truck number, its license plate number and your location. Do not follow, tailgate or attempt to flag down a drowsy truck driver. If you witness a collision involving a driver who is showing signs of fatigue, pull to a stop to give your statement as an eyewitness.

If you were injured in an accident with a truck driver you suspect of fatigue, contact a Houston personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options. You may be able to file a claim against the drowsy truck driver for your medical bills, lost wages and property damages. In most cases, the trucking company will be vicariously liable for a fatigued truck driver who causes an accident. A lawyer in Texas can help you fight for compensation from the at-fault party using evidence of drowsiness, such as eyewitness statements and electronic logging devices.