Commercial drivers need more sleep! It has been reported by the National Traffic Safety Board that semi trucks are responsible for 10 percent of the fatal accidents on our roadways. It is also reported that a sleepy truck driver is involved in 20 to 40 percent of those accidents.

In 1990, the National Traffic Safety Board’s two studies found lack of sleep, or extreme fatigue to be the biggest reasons that commercial drivers caused truck accidents. It was also discovered, in the studies, that the amount and type of sleep is important. Sleeping for nine straight hours is a better idea than sleeping a couple of hours here and there over a 24 hour period.

Who would have considered sleep apnea, could be part of the problem? It is a common problem with truck drivers. Being on the truck often, doesn’t leave a lot of time to see a doctor and explore sleeping problems. In the case of sleep apnea, quality of sleep is not good and that alone can contribute to a motor vehicle accident.

Lack of sleep will cause a driver to be drowsy. When a driver is drowsy, he or she can be slow to react or they could over react. Their mind could wander, and not watch the road. They could doze off and the truck could be out of control. The worst scenario could be falling asleep while driving. All of these possibilities could be fatal to the truck driver, and to other drivers on the road.

There are many different facts surrounding a truck related accident. Determining if the truck driver got enough sleep or was negligent is a big factor in an accident. Did he follow the rules about taking the proper breaks? Were there witnesses to him drifting across the road before the accident? Was there an effort on the truck driver’s part to avoid the accident? An accident lawyer who specializes in truck accidents will be able to research the ins and outs of the accident. The lawyer will be able to advise you about filing a claim.