Truck drivers getting or staying behind the wheel when drowsy can create major safety hazards out on the roads. Drowsiness can greatly cut into truckers’ driving skills. This sometimes results in drowsy driving crashes.
Where are such truck accidents most likely to occur? A recent study looked into this.
The study looked at fatigue-related commercial motor vehicle accidents that occurred on certain interstates and parkways here in Kentucky between 2005 and 2014. All of them involved an at-fault CMV driver.
The researchers found that, generally, the farther locations are from rest options, the more likely fatigue-related CMV crashes are. For example, in areas over 40 miles from rest options, such accidents were almost seven times more likely. Rest options include rest areas, truck stops and weigh stations that have rest havens.
Given these findings, one wonders if increasing the number of rest option spots in Kentucky would lead to big decreases in drowsy driving truck accidents.
The study also found that fatigue-related crashes were more likely on parkways than interstates. This might be connected to parkways generally having fewer rest options.
The study also looked into when such accidents are most common. Perhaps unsurprisingly, drowsy driving CMV crashes were found to be more common at night.
Drowsy driving accidents involving trucks can cause substantial harm to other motorists. Now, when a person has suffered injuries due to a trucker being drowsy at the wheel, there can be many complex issues to navigate regarding the pursuit of fair compensation. What is done in response to such issues can be very impactful. So, knowledgeable guidance can be a key thing for individuals to seek out when pursuing compensation in relation to drowsy driving truck crashes.