Truck drivers are required to sit in one spot for hours, staring at a monotonous highway. It is no surprise that drivers may often become fatigued and lose concentration behind the wheel. Drivers have a responsibility to take rest breaks in accordance with federal regulations, but also to take additional rest breaks whenever they believe they are showing signs of fatigue. If a driver does not take proper rest breaks and causes you injury, an experienced Palmetto truck accident attorney can help you recover.
The following are some of the physical signs of fatigue in a truck driver:
Struggling to keep their eyes open
Eyes drifting from the road
Trouble focusing eyesight
Disorientation or unintentional daydreaming
Constant or regular yawning
Lethargy or slow movements
Restlessness or constant fidgeting
Nodding or dozing off behind the wheel
If a truck driver has any of the above signs of fatigue, he should immediately pull over and take a rest break even if it is not required to comply with hours of service regulations. Hours of service regulations cannot predict when each individual driver may become fatigued, so every truck driver is responsible for paying attention to physical signs and responsibly taking a rest break when needed. If a driver knows he is fatigued and continues driving, he risks causing serious accidents and injuries.
Additionally, if you are involved in an accident, you should try to observe the truck driver to see if he shows any signs of fatigue. Does he have difficulty answering questions? Are his responses delayed? Does he physically appear tired? These can all be indications that your accident was caused by negligent fatigued driving.
Contact a Coweta County truck accident attorney for a free consultation
If you suffered injury in a truck accident and believe the truck driver involved may have been fatigued, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced truck accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law will know how to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident to determine whether the truck driver was negligently driving while fatigued. Call our office at (980) 246-2656 to schedule a free consultation today.