Without a doubt, truck drivers do get fatigued after concentrating on controlling a vehicle that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds for hours at a time on all kinds of roads, traffic patterns and weather. Just the size of these vehicles may make you wary around them, and when you add in possible errors by the driver, you may pay even closer attention when you must share the roads with them. If you suffered injuries in a truck accident, contact a truck accident attorney Houston as soon as possible.
However, what alerts you about potential mistakes by drivers of passenger vehicles? Truck drivers are not the only ones whose work and/or lifestyle make them susceptible to drowsy driving. To increase your safety, you will need to maintain the same vigilance you do with 18-wheelers with the other vehicles you share the road with, since you never know who is driving the car, truck or SUV on the road with you, let alone whether he or she slept well last night.
Who Else Can Fall Victim to Drowsy Driving?
Of course, anyone could get behind the wheel when they are really too tired to drive, but certain groups other than long-haul truck drivers tend to do so more often, which increases your risk of harm if you encounter one of them:
- Shift workers, including those who work the night shift
- Shift workers who work rotating shifts
- People who work no less than 60 hours per week
- Those who suffer from undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea
- People who travel for business and may be jet lagged or drive long hours
- Young people, particularly men under the age of 26
Chronically Fatigued Drivers
This list includes people who are often chronically fatigued. If you are a parent, you might think that parents with a new baby should have a spot on it as well. The point is that anyone could suffer from a diminished ability to drive due to a lack of sleep. How are you supposed to know whether the drivers in the vehicles around you fit into one or more of the above categories? You can’t.
Houston Drowsy Driving Injury Lawyers
You have to trust that the drivers around you will remain as vigilant and careful as you are. Unfortunately, that does not always happen. Drowsy driving can lead to serious accidents, and if you end up the victim of one, you could sustain significant monetary losses and other damages. Fortunately, Texas law allows you to pursue compensation for the damages you experienced as the result of another party’s negligence or recklessness. Considering hiring the car accident attorneys in Houston at Reich and Binstock.
