5 Tips To Fight Against Truck Driver Fatigue
As a truck driver, you bear the heavier responsibility of keeping yourself and those around you safe. You are in charge of steering a hulking metal that far outweighs everyone’s vehicle. And if your truck careens into someone’s car, there is a higher chance of them incurring a fatal and catastrophic injury. Thus, you need to make sure that you remain alert as you’re driving a truck.
The issue of driver fatigue amongst truckers needs to be addressed. The Truck Safety Coalition cited a study sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which states that 65% of truck drivers have been reported to feeling drowsy on the road, leading to truck accidents. Even more concerning is that more than 50% have admitted to actually falling asleep behind the wheel.
This exposes a lot of people to fatal and life-altering injuries. Worse, wrongful death. With Forbes Magazine reporting that over half a million trucking fatalities occurred in 2021 alone, the discussion of implementing sustainable ways to prevent truck driver fatigue needs to happen immediately.
Still, that does not absolve individual truckers from the responsibility of ensuring that they are practicing safe driving. As people who are maneuvering thousands of pounds of metal, they need to exercise a greater deal of caution in order to keep themselves and others safe.
While systemic reform needs to be made to adequately address this issue, there are things that truckers can do to alleviate the problems posed by truck driver fatigue.
Here are some of them:
1. Stay Hydrated To Combat Truck Drivers Fatigue
Concerned with not finding a urinal while they’re on the road, a lot of truck drivers make the mistake of not drinking enough water before driving. But hydration plays a crucial role in supporting one’s brain function.
Not having enough water in your system could impair your judgment as well as your depth perception, putting the driver and those around them at risk for fatal injuries. It also improves blood circulation, which is essential in ensuring that oxygen and nutrients are efficiently transported to aid in fighting fatigue.
2. Healthy diet
Since truck drivers have to work long hours on the road, a lot of them often neglect prioritizing a balanced and healthy diet. This in turn deprives their bodies of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in sustaining their energy levels. Since they frequent gas stations, truck drivers would instead resort to eating sugary snacks like candy bars and chocolates to curb their hunger.
This does nothing to help fight fatigue. For one, foods high in artificial sugars are notorious for momentarily “zapping” your energy levels which then leads to its quick and significant depletion thereafter. In order to maintain and sustain your energy throughout long drives, a healthy diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and vegetables is needed!
3. Pull Over If You Get Truck Drivers Fatigue
No matter the preventative measures you take in combating fatigue (ie: through healthy diet and adequate sleep,) there are other factors that could still lead you to feel tired on the road. The long hours and monotonous routine could easily bore drivers, alongside the psychological stress one may experience on a daily basis. The physical demands of the job does not help as well.
If you do feel bouts of fatigue in your drive, then it is best to pull over on the side of the road and get some rest.
4. Tired Truck Drivers Need To Get Adequate Sleep
Since truck drivers often have to adhere to demanding schedules and long hours, it’s imperative for truck drivers to get adequate and restful sleep. As a general rule of thumb, it’s advised for truck drivers to get 8-9 hours of sleep prior to driving off. This is important as sleep deprivation is a key factor in driving fatigue.
Having a restful sleep aids in reducing overall traffic fatalities. With enough rest, truck drivers are able to make sharp and smart decisions when driving.
5. A Tired Truck Driver May Need To Caffeinate
When you still feel fatigued, the next best thing that you can do is to caffeinate. This may produce not-so good long term effects, but it certainly beats getting into a fatal and catastrophic accident on the road. Drinking coffee or energy drinks —while not ideal— is a decent band aid to the issues posed by exhaustion.
Of course, it’s worth noting that this does not solve the problem at its root. Truck drivers must endeavor to adhere to a lifestyle consisting of a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and a discipline to consistently practice good habits on the road.
Call Omega Law Group
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