Texas Truck Accident Attorney

Driver Fatigue

Truck driver fatigue is a serious problem that continues to exist and cause accidents. It is a condition that results in reckless or dangerous behavior such as failure to stay in the proper lane and running off the road.

It is such a problem that in 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) created new regulations that increased the restrictions on the number of hours a truck driver can drive. While these new regulations helped, 20% - 40% of all large truck accidents have driver fatigue listed as a probable factor.

The causes of this problem mainly concern the number of hours a driver is sleeping. It is more related to inadequate daily sleep than to a complete absence of sleep. The extended hours of operation create the problem of continuous sleep deprivation due to limited daily sleep. This sleep deprivation can be due to a variety of factors. Some drivers like to get to the far side of a city in order to avoid rush hour traffic the next morning. Others are in a hurry to get home to their families and so skip a rest stop.

Unfortunately, the FMCSA’s regulations were super-ceded by a 2004 law. The law that went into effect on January 4th of 2004 increases the number of hours in a day that truck drivers can spend driving.

There are fines that exist if a driver gets caught exceeding the number of hours it is legal to drive in a day; however, these are generally seen as being part of the cost of doing business.

If you or someone you know has been in a Texas Truck Accidentcontact the Texas truck accident lawyers, of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your case and to schedule an initial consultation.