Health of Truck Drivers a Factor in Truck Accidents?

January 04, 2013

Truck accidents frequently cause death and serious injuries to occupants of passenger vehicles. The speed of the trucks as well as the size of the vehicles makes it difficult for truck drivers to make quick moves to avoid potential accidents. Often, when an accident happens, the smaller cars and trucks absorb the complete impact of the crash.

While many laws and design improvements have reduced the number of serious trucking accidents, officials have been trying to find ways to eliminate accidents completely. Much of the attention has been focused on truck drivers, and the companies that hire them. In fact, companies that now hire unsafe drivers can find themselves receiving substantial penalties, including high fines as well as potentially being ordered out of service for repeat violations.

The health of the truck driver has also become an issue receiving increased scrutiny. A study by researchers at the University of Minnesota took a closer look at the height and weight of new truck drivers to determine if there was any correlation between truck accidents and the health of the driver.

The team examined accidents and looked at the body mass index (BMI) levels of the drivers. It watched new drivers for two years, or until the drivers left the company that hired them. The study found that drivers with a body mass index above 35 percent were 43 to 55 percent more likely to be in an accident than those with normal BMI levels. A BMI score of 35 percent is considered to be extremely obese.

Drivers with BMIs lower than 35 percent did not see their accident rates increase as substantially, leading the researchers to believe that extremely out of shape drivers were the riskiest drivers on roadways.

One of the reasons for this could be related to sleep apnea. This condition makes drivers feel fatigued and in need of rest, even if the drivers receive a full night's sleep. Often, those with sleep apnea can feel tired all the time, which can lead to delayed reaction times while driving.

Regulators have been struggling with sleep apnea rules for quite some time. The trucking industry is reluctant to have rules in place, because they do not believe that there is a connection between truck drivers with sleep apnea and accidents.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, speak to an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to understand what to do while you recover. It is important to understand the full extent of your injuries, because serious injuries will often require extensive rehabilitation and treatment. If you settle your claims too soon, you may not receive the compensation that you need to help pay your medical bills.

Article provided by Gillis & Gillis
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