Ohio drivers understand that hitting the road comes with its share of dangers. Unfortunately, a portion of these dangers comes from the truckers that drivers share the road with.
The trucking industry often works to implement safety protocol that keeps its drivers safe. But the industry itself is far from perfect. In fact, some parts of it can actually contribute to the risk of crashes.
Fatigue in truckers
Sleep Foundation discusses the issue of drowsy driving. This issue is particularly prevalent among truckers. A study revealed that truck drivers got about 5 hours of sleep a night on average. This is significantly less time asleep than the average person should get, and it has a big impact on a driver’s ability to stay safe on the road. Another study showed that going for 18 hours or longer without sleep was equivalent to driving with a BAC level of 0.08 percent.
Unfortunately, the trucking industry often reinforces the trucker’s bad sleep habits. They do this by making an incentive of running through routes as fast as possible. Truckers thus prioritize speed over safety. This attitude is prevalent in the industry.
A failure to provide maintenance
Another issue Smart Trucking points out is the lack of maintenance on trucks. Many crashes that could have gone avoided happen because of mechanical failures. This can include tire blowouts, losing a wheel, or the tractor part detaching from the truck. The company should regularly inspects its fleet and perform maintenance to prevent this. Unfortunately, some employers want to cut costs and cut corners to do so. This results in older, less stable trucks that can suffer from break-downs mid-drive.
