Drowsy driving can have devastating consequences and is prevalent among truck drivers, who may drive for long periods, drive at night, during inclement weather and more.
What is drowsy driving?
When a person drives a vehicle while sleepy or tired, they are driving drowsy. Truck drivers frequently experience fatigue, which can be a natural cause of drowsy driving. Other causes include taking medication for a condition and experiencing its side effects, including sleepiness or tiredness.
Why is drowsy driving dangerous?
Drowsy driving is dangerous because it impairs a driver’s ability to respond appropriately while driving. In many cases, it is compared to drunk driving because some of the effects are similar.
In these cases, drivers can become:
- slow to respond to traffic
- impaired in their decision-making ability
- compromised in their attention to the road
Drowsy driving can lead to accidents and catastrophic injuries, as well as death.
How drowsy driving occurs
Drowsy driving can occur for several reasons, including:
- Spending long hours driving on the road, like many truck drivers do
- Having irregular sleep patterns
- Being under a lot of stress
- Not sleeping or resting as much as someone needs to
In truck drivers specifically, drowsy driving is common because:
- Schedules and deadlines are frequently the trucking industry’s priorities
- Lack of appropriate resting facilities for drivers
- Incentives for truck drivers to accumulate hours of driving in exchange for more money
- Health problems that may cause sleepiness or for which medication can make a person drowsy or fatigued
Drowsy driving is a very serious issue, especially among truck drivers. It is vital for truck drivers, companies that employ truck drivers and the public to understand how dangerous this practice can be and how critical it is for individuals to be well-rested, have appropriate rest facilities, be healthy and not exceed a certain number of hours of driving.
Many companies that employ truck drivers put profits above these facts and the safety of not only their drivers but everyone else on the road, which can lead to catastrophic consequences, like severe, life-changing injuries and even death.