How to help Prevent Fatigued Truck Driving Accidents (Waldorf MD)
As a truck driver, you spend lots of hours on the road trying to meet deadlines and finish jobs so that you can move on to the next. One of the biggest concerns with truck drivers is driving fatigue which can lead to accidents. If you have been involved in an accident and need the assistance of a personal injury attorney in Waldorf MD, contact the Law Office of Robert Castro for more information. If you are a truck driver in the area, use the different ways below to beat your driving fatigue and avoid accidents in the future.
What is Driving Fatigue?
Truck drivers experience driving fatigue regularly, and it is at the source of thousands of accidents. Accidents happening in or around Waldorf MD are common with the interstate running through Maryland. There are a few ways to beat driving fatigue and make sure you are taking the right precautions for your safety and others on the highway.
Ways To Beat Driving Fatigue
There are a few ways to get ahead of fatigue and driving so that your driver is safe and your company isn’t faced with an unwanted lawsuit. If you want to avoid fatigue when driving long distance trucks as a driver or an owner, use the tips below:
- Enforce regular breaks.
- Reduce how many hours drivers are on the road each day.
- Utilize new technology in trucks.
- Establish time off regularly.
Enforce Regular Breaks
As the owner or as a driver, it is important that breaks are taken regularly to avoid fatigue and falling asleep at the wheel. Just like any job in any industry, there is a need for a lunch break and rest breaks at least twice throughout the shift. For truckers, it is important to actually get out the truck regularly, stretch their legs and walk around. By staying inside the truck for too many hours at once, you could have more serious issues develop other that fatigued driving.
Reduce Hours On The Road
No matter where you are trying to travel, no long distance trucker or even a regular driver should spend more than 11 hours on the road in a single day. This does not mean breaks, but with the breaks, you do not want to be on the road more than 16 hours. Truckers, like any other industry, need their sleep so that they can be safe when driving the next day. Plan ahead for trips that may take multiple days. Even though the trucks have beds in the cab, allowing them a decent nights rest in a hotel on long trips with access to a shower and room to stretch out is good for their physical and mental health.
Utilize New Technology
In your trucks, you can include new technology that tells your drivers when they need to take their breaks. Some technology can monitor their lane driving and alert them if they are too tired to keep driving due to poor driving. These systems also log how many hours they are driving during the day, so you know if the drivers are going over their required time and putting themselves at risk for driving fatigue. Some drivers see this as a way to attack their overtime, but it can require them to get the rest they need and save lives.
Establish Time Off Regularly
When you create a schedule with your drivers, you want to make sure they have enough time off between hauls so that they are getting enough rest outside the job. Some drivers would take on a job six or seven days a week, but that can strain them physically and put them at risk for driving fatigue. When you schedule time off, and stick to that schedule, your drivers are forced to get the necessary rest they need and drive safely when they pull out on their next shift.
Do You Need A Personal Injury Lawyer in Waldorf MD?
At the Law Office of Robert Castro, you will find a truck accident law firm equipped with experience for those who have been the victim of fatigue and driving at the hands of a truck driver. Contact our team today for your free consultation and let us get you the assistance you deserve.
