Unfortunately, many trucking companies in the United States put tremendous pressure on their drivers to meet deadlines, and sometimes the deadlines are not completely realistic in terms of safety. Christie Farrell Lee & Bell even authored a new study about the deadly trucking accidents in America.
As a result, some truck drivers may choose to forgo the proper amount of sleep in order to make every effort to meet strict deadlines.
You might guess these disruptions from rest can cause sleep disorders for truckers, and you’d be right to make such an assumption. Read on to learn more.
Common Sleep Disorders in the Trucking Industry
About 20-29% of truck drivers report suffering from unspecified sleep disorders as a result of their work.
About 28% of truck drivers suffer from insomnia, which can affect a driver if they haven’t received a sufficient amount of sleep prior to driving to operate a large vehicle, like a 18 wheeler truck.
Also, 26-51% of truck drivers experience obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is common sleep disorder that happens when a person’s muscles in the back of their throat relax too much to allow for proper breathing.
Research shows about 17% of truck drivers sleep fewer than six hours per night, which falls short of the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. Additionally, about 22% of truckers sleep fewer than five hours per night.
Other Common Truck Driver Ailments
OSA is more commonly found in drivers with insomnia. These truck drivers also have a higher prevalence of the following:
- Cardiovascular conditions,
- Diabetes,
- Depression, and
- Respiratory disorders.
Subsequently, these drivers are nearly twice as likely to be involved in a crash and nearly three times as likely to be involved in a near-miss accident than other drivers.
We Can Help Injured Truck Accident Victims
If you’ve sustained an injury in a truck accident due to the fault of another, you may be able to recover compensation. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our office right away to learn more about how we can help you with your truck crash case. Whether you need an Indianapolis truck accident lawyer or a Fort Wayne truck accident attorney, we help all Indiana citizens across our state with legal counseling to help them get compensated for their injuries. Even if there was a wrongful death injury, we can help.
Contact Christie Farrell Lee & Bell today with the details of your case by calling 317-488-5500 or filling out our online contact form to learn more about how we can help.