The Dangers of Truck Driver Fatigue
One of the most common causes of truck accidents in the United States is fatigue. When truck drivers suffer from drowsiness, they are often slower to react to dangers on the road. Additionally, truckers may fall asleep at the wheel and cause a serious collision.
In order to hold the truck driver and trucking company liable for a crash involving injury or death, negligence needs to be established. But how can the trucker’s negligent actions be proven? One way of determining whether or a not a driver may have been fatigued at the time of the collision is through data recovered from an electronic on-board recorder (EOBR)
How Electronic On-Board Recorders Work
EOBRs enable trucking companies to log the length of time that a vehicle is being driven. The main purpose of this type of device is to discourage and prevent fatigued driving.
Truck drivers are subject to hours of service regulations, set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules limit drivers to 14 hours of service, whey they can drive, inspect their truck, and perform necessary repairs, before they must take a 10-hour rest period.
While paper log books can be easily manipulated to show that a trucker has obeyed the federal laws of the road, EOBRs create an accurate representation of the trucker’s driving hours. These records can help determine who is liable for the accident.
Suffered an injury in a truck accident in Florida? Contact our Dunedin personal injury attorney at Paulsen Law Group and request a free consultation today.