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Tractor Trailer Accidents
Serving all of Pennsylvania
Driver Fatigue Accidents
Driver fatigue is a factor in over 40% of accidents involving tractor-trailer trucks. Truck drivers are well-trained, professional, and very experienced drivers, but when they are fatigued, they can lose judgment and make mistakes. Tractor-trailer trucks are much more difficult to drive than other vehicles because:
- Their width means less margin for safety in traffic lanes
- They have a wider turn radius than other vehicles and require more forethought before maneuvering
- Because they are heavier, they have longer braking distances than other vehicles
- Their shape and size creates large blind spots
- Poorly distributed and secured heavy loads can make them unpredictable
- They present a large cross-section to the wind, making them vulnerable to sudden, strong gusts
Therefore, truck drivers must be alert and mentally aware at all times to avoid tractor trailer accidents. Drivers cannot do this if they are fatigued, distracted, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Two major shipping routes cross in Pennsylvania: I-80 and I-81. I-80 is the most important transcontinental east-west shipping route, passing by State College, Lock Haven, Williamsport, Bloomsburg, and Stroudsburg. I-81 connects the major commercial border crossings in New York to markets all down the East Coast, passing nearby Frackville, Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre, and Scranton. Over 80 percent of all freight in Pennsylvania ships by truck alone, and Pennsylvania is one of the top states of origin for freight in the United States, making these routes very busy. Over 247 million tons of freight, valued at just under $150 billion, travels on Pennsylvania highways every year.
Hours of Service
The government first set Hours of Service (HOS) regulations for all commercial drivers in 1937, in response to concerns about the rising volume of traffic on the roads and the resulting accidents and fatalities. The first regulations forced drivers to work on a 24-hour day, with no more than 10 hours of driving per day and at least 8 hours of rest between driving shifts. However, since then lobbyists from trucking companies have successfully reduced this requirement to a 21-hour schedule, with up to 11 hours driving and ten hours of rest. Because this new scale is continually cycling it means that drivers can now drive up to 88 hours in 8 days, as opposed to 80 hours under the old regulations, and it disrupts the circadian rhythms of drivers, making them more fatigued and prone to accident-causing mistakes.
Sleep Deficit = Profit Surplus
Under the new HOS rules, commercial drivers are encouraged to drive constantly and sleep only when necessary. Trucking companies profit because their loads get delivered sooner, making them hundreds of millions of dollars more a year.
However, this schedule encourages drivers to try and sleep at odd hours and under varying conditions of noise and light. People are generally unable to sleep on command, and the arrhythmic pattern encouraged by these rules can lead to great difficulty for truckers, who build up a sleep deficit. This deficit cannot be erased in the mere 34 hours (less than 1 ½ days!) of rest required between 70-hour workweeks. Drivers fatigued as a result of this sleep deficit make mistakes that lead to tractor trailer accidents. Many drivers make this problem worse by turning to drugs or alcohol to either wake them up or make them sleep as necessary.
Every time a trucking company cuts a corner, it can see millions of dollars of profit, money that eats up the occasional large settlement for a loved one who was recklessly hurt or killed in a highway robbery by a fatigued trucker. The trucking companies only understand the language of profit, and therefore the only way to tell them to stop their dangerous practices is by making them pay dearly for what they have done to you or a loved one.
Do not let them profit from your loss. The team of attorneys at Michael J. O'Connor & Associates is ready to begin making shipping companies pay the real cost of their practices. Call our toll free number at 1.800.518.4LAW or Email us today for a free initial consultation.
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Accidents Caused by Unrealistic Schedules
