What Happens When a Commercial Truck Driver Falls Asleep?
Driving while tired has been compared to driving while drunk. Many experts actually believe that tired driving is even worse. Even with all the knowledge out there, many people still get behind the wheel and try to push through to their destination. When Texas truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel, it can be disastrous.
The Car Crash Captain has the details on what happens when a commercial truck driver operates while tired.
The Results of Commercial Truck Crashes
Due to their size, commercial truck crashes are inherently more dangerous and deadly than other motor vehicle crashes.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2023 there were:
- 38,909 commercial vehicle accidents
- 620 fatalities
- 1,687 serious injuries
There may be even more that were failed to be reported. There aren’t, however, statistics on how many of those crashes were due to driving while fatigued.
Why Do Texas Truck Drivers Fall Asleep?
The bottom line: Texas is pretty big.
With over 3,200 miles of highways in Texas (that’s not including all the side streets and those not determined to be highways), there are a lot of miles for drivers to navigate. Some of those roads are long, straight, and frankly a bit boring to drive.
If you have ever taken a road trip, you know that while you’re cruising along, even well rested, you can nod off as your mind drifts elsewhere.
There Are Federal Regulations
Federal regulations try to curb the unfortunate fact that drivers get tired while driving. Most of these have to do with the number of hours a driver can drive without a break, how many days in a row, and how long of a rest they have to put in between “shifts.”
We have written about these “hours of service” laws before. Rather than repeat them here, check out the blog about Hours of Service Laws for Truck Drivers. You can also read the official legal rules on the FMCSA website.
Who is Liable if Texas Truck Drivers Fall Asleep?
When a motorist crashes, it’s nearly always the fault of the person operating that vehicle. However, when a truck driver crashes, liability can land elsewhere.
Read more: Understanding Third Party Liability in a Truck Accident
When it comes to a driver falling asleep, it sounds like it should be clear that the driver is at fault. He, or she, fell asleep when they should have stopped to rest, right? Not so fast.
With modern electronic logs, it’s harder for companies to push drivers to go beyond their legal limits of driving, but it does still happen. If a truck driver has been forced to drive more than the federally allowable hours, at the threat of losing their job, they might not shoulder the entire blame for the wreck. Liability could at least partially fall on the trucking company.
How Your Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Helps
Herbert Law Group knows truck accidents. We understand how they happen, why they happen, and what needs to be done to pursue quick justice. We know how to recreate the scene, get information that could otherwise be deleted, and track down the truth.
We do all of that for you, so you have to do one thing: heal from your injuries.
If you’ve been in a Texas truck accident, we need to talk about what happened. Call our offices at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site, and we’ll reach out to you for a free conversation so we can determine how we’re able to help.