Galveston truck accident attorneys know that Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations limits the number of hours truck drivers may legally drive in a single day. These regulations provide that truckers may drive no more than 11 hours after a rest break of 10 consecutive hours. In an effort to prevent truck driver fatigue, regulations permit truckers to drive no more than 60 hours in 7 consecutive days.
But despite these rules, many truck drivers stay on the road for long and tedious hours. Indeed the average trucker drives more than 125,000 miles each year. Long hours of monotonous highway driving leads to truck driver fatigue. But drivers might feel pressured to skip breaks and drive extra long hours for many reasons.
The need to earn extra income through extra deliveries. Trucking industry revenues total in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year. But the industry remains highly competitive. And individual truck drivers may not be highly paid for their labor.
The competitive demands of a tight job market. If a trucker insists on complying with mandated rest periods to avoid truck driver fatigue, an unscrupulous trucking company might well fire him and hire another driver who’s willing to drive as long as they demand.
A desire to get home at the end of a long route.
A desire to push on and avoid rush hours or other potential delays.
Galveston truck accident attorneys know of situations where truck drivers might put in 100-hour work weeks on the road. The truck driver fatigue that results from such long hours causes hundreds of accident fatalities and tens of thousands of accident injuries each year. Approximately a third of fatal Galveston truck crashes result from truck driver fatigue.
Overworked truck drivers can become drowsy or inattentive, or just plain fall asleep at the wheel. When the truck driver no longer consciously directs his vehicle, the 80,000 behemoth becomes a deadly missile aimed at the innocent victims around it. The horrific Galveston truck crash that results might claim several lives and destroy the quality of life for those who survive.
Government agencies simply don’t have the manpower to regularly inspect trucks and check truck drivers for compliance with regulations. So truck drivers know that they can often get away with driving for as long as they want to drive. Unfortunately, their disregard for federal safety regulations can lead to devastating Galveston truck crashes from truck driver fatigue.
A Galveston truck crash caused by truck driver fatigue might not injure the sleepy truck driver. But it might kill or maim innocent victims occupying smaller vehicles. If you were injured in a Galveston truck crash, or your loved ones were injured or killed by the negligence of a sleepy truck driver, you might be entitled to a large amount of financial compensation. An experienced Galveston truck accident attorney could accurately evaluate your case and help you understand its value for you and your family.
The Galveston truck accident attorneys of Denena & Points could help you obtain full personal injury damages when you have been negligently injured in a Galveston truck crash. A Galveston truck accident attorney from our office could help you win just wrongful death damages when your loved ones were negligently killed as a result of truck driver fatigue. Call today for your free consultation and initial case evaluation.