Dozing Drivers & Truck Accidents

Do I Need to Notify the DMV If My Car Is Totaled in California

Truck Accident Attorney Serving Los Angeles

Drowsy driving is one of the leading causes of accidents on American roads and highways. According to the estimations from The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), annually 100,000 accidents can be linked to the people who doze off while in the driving seat. This estimate also includes a horrific number of the deaths and the injuries that may be caused by drowsy driving.

Driving with sleep deprivation is not a trivial matter. According to the experts, there isn’t any significant difference between dozy driving and driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Any individual who hasn’t slept for 17 hours or more can make the same driving errors as a person who has a blood alcohol content level of 0.5.

From the above discussion, it is quite clear that falling asleep behind the wheel can prove to be fatal for the driver and the people around them. However, the degree of fatality rises manifold when the driver of a commercial truck weighing more than 50,000 pounds becomes drowsy while driving.

Causes of Drowsiness in Truck Drivers

Truck drivers are sleep-deprived more often than other drivers due to several reasons:

  • Long hours of driving can be the reason for many problems that include muscle spasm, backache, irritability, and eye strain. Many drivers overlook these symptoms in order to meet deadlines for work.
  • Truck drivers often spend their nights on the road and the lack of sleep caused by this routine becomes the reason for obesity in truck drivers. Studies have found that obesity can lead to obstructive sleep apnea. Drivers who suffer from sleep apnea can’t get the deep sleep that is necessary to rejuvenate the body and mind and roughly 28% of commercial truck drivers are suspected of having sleep apnea.
  • Another reason for drowsiness in the truck drivers is the lack of proper rest stops and parking spaces for truck drivers on highway routes. When drivers can’t find a suitable place to pull off, they continue to drive in the same condition.

Signs of Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving in a commercial truck driver is an invitation for catastrophe; therefore, if you identify the following signs on roads and highways then you can protect yourself from an accident:

  • If a truck is tailgating other vehicles
  • If it is not following the red lights and stop signs
  • If it is drifting and zigzagging into other lanes without giving signals

Injured by a drowsy driver?

If you or a loved one were in a motor vehicle accident caused by a truck driver who lacked sleep for one reason or another, you have the right to pursue compensation through an injury suit. At the Law Offices of Jacob Emrani, our personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles specialize in holding negligent parties accountable when they cause severe harm to others.

Call our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys to begin your claim—(888) 952-2952!

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