The effects of exhaustion mimic those of intoxication. A person who has had too little sleep loses motor coordination, will have decreased reaction time and may experience blurred vision. All these symptoms are a problem for someone who is in control of a large vehicle. Truckers driving commercial big rigs are in control of a truck that weighs anywhere from eight to 40 tons. This is a large load to be hauling under conditions that resemble driving under the influence of alcohol.
Each year, a number of fatalities occur from truckers who are overly fatigued. National Transportation Safety Board statistics indicate that as many as 40 percent of accidents involving 18-wheelers are caused by drivers that have not had enough sleep. Truckers are under a lot of pressure to deliver their loads as fast as possible. Trucking jobs are often given to drivers who deliver orders quickly. Fast turnaround translates into bigger profits for the company and a higher paycheck for the driver. Current laws limit the amount of time a trucker can be on the road to no more than 11 consecutive hours. After each 11 hours the trucker must take a ten-hour break. These laws are good in theory, but drivers rarely follow them. The penalties for breaking the law are simply not worth the loss of pay.
Each driver is required to maintain a log detailing hours and mileage. Law enforcement officials can request the driver log at any time. To get around this, drivers often keep a dummy log that shows them driving within the confines of state and federal laws. Bypassing checkpoints allows drivers to exceed the maximum number of hours on the road. This unsafe practice quickly leads to exhaustion. The result is tragic in far too many cases.
Vigilant truckers can take steps to avoid exhaustion. At the first feeling of fatigue, even if the maximum of 11 hours has not yet been reached, the vehicle should be pulled over immediately. Delivering a load at a great speed is just not worth the cost of a human life. Drowsiness can be temporarily alleviated with a caffeinated beverage, but this is a temporary solution that should be minimally used.
It is clear that the current laws that seek to prevent truckers from driving while exhausted are not working. Fatality statistics from fatigued drivers suggest that additional measures should be put in place to ensure truckers are not tempted to circumvent the law. Logs should be transitioned to a tamper proof electronic form. Drivers are currently paid by the hour or the mile. Paying drivers by the job is a good way to ensure they do not drive over the maximum number of hours to increase pay.
