Illinois residents like you who get behind the wheel don’t expect to have your life threatened while on the road. Unfortunately, you share the road with all kinds of drivers and vehicles and can’t determine how everyone will be on the road. Trucks can be especially dangerous, due not only to their size, but also the phenomenon of trucker fatigue. After Chicago truck accident, it’s imperative that you speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) takes a look at driver fatigue and its impact on drivers in general. While it can be devastating for any driver, it gets more harmful the bigger the vehicle is. For that reason, drowsy truck drivers can be one of the biggest potential hazards on the road. Their large vehicle can end up taking out many other cars at once if the driver gets into a crash.
Beyond that, there is an unfortunate issue within the truck driving industry in which reckless driving behaviors are ignored or sometimes even rewarded. This comes in the form of certain behaviors being made into incentives, whether intentionally or unintentionally. For example, truck drivers are often rewarded based on performance in terms of the distance they can cover in a day, or the amount of deliveries they can make. This can lead to some drivers sleeping less to get more deliveries done.
Regardless of the reasoning, fatigued truckers are at risk of drowsy driving. This can actually be as dangerous as driving under the influence or driving while distracted, making this a problem to take seriously. The sooner it is, the sooner successful countermeasures and awareness campaigns will be able to be launched. If you suffered injuries in a truck accident, please call a personal injury lawyer in Chicago at 312-321-1111 today.