Trucking companies to increase testing for deadly sleep apnea

Truck drivers face high risk for sleep apnea

Trucking companies may more frequently screen their drivers for sleep apnea in an effort to combat drowsy driving accidents.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder that causes breathing to start and stop during sleep, leading to less restful sleep and increased drowsiness. For drivers, especially truckers, bus drivers, or train engineers, drowsiness can become deadly.

Why test truck drivers for sleep apnea?

Truck drivers’ concern with sleep apnea is twofold. Their profession makes them both more likely to develop sleep apnea, and more at risk of death from its effects.

Driving a truck involves sitting for long periods of time, eating at truck stops along the road, and irregular sleeping schedules. Factors that can contribute to sleep apnea include obesity, smoking, bad diet, and poor sleep habits. […]

Side Underride Guards May Be the Difference Between Life and Death

First-Ever Side Underride Crash Tests

A new crash test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows exactly how side underride guards on tractor trailers can mean the difference between life and death.

A side underride crash occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with the side of a trailer or heavy truck. The results are grisly. The impact can shear the top of the smaller vehicle and kill the occupants.

The IIHS has long been measuring rear-underride guard effectiveness, but this is the first test of side guards.  Researchers ran two midsize cars into the sides of two semi-trailers at 35 mph. One trailer was equipped with a fiberglass side panel, and the other with the “AngelWing” underride protector from Airflow Deflector, Inc.

Tractor Trailer Side Underride Guard Test Results:

Fiberglass panel – As the above photo shows, the car went right through the panel and became lodged under the trailer. […]

New tech solutions for truck safety

As truck accident lawyers, we don’t just handle truck accident cases, we also strive to improve safety on our nation’s highways. We regularly join with other advocates across the country in support of better safety laws and regulations. Sometimes, working toward change can feel like an uphill battle. So, it’s especially gratifying to see trucking companies and researchers voluntarily investing in safety technology that will save lives.

Artificial Daylight to Improve Trucker Health, Safety

One exciting tech solution to a serious truck safety issue is the use of artificial daylight in truck cabs.

Logging 10+ hour days and making long overnight trips can take a toll on truck drivers’ physical and mental health. It also presents a safety hazard – a drowsy driver behind the wheel of an 80,000lb vehicle can spell disaster. So,  researchers in Germany sought to counteract the effects of darkness on the brain.   […]

At Long Last, Better Underride Guards on Tractor-Trailers

New underride guards to help prevent fatalities in the event of a crash

How about some good news? After years of pressure from safety advocates, semitrailer companies are making changes.

For the first time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has issued the “Toughguard” rating to semi-trailer manufacturers who pass the new underride guard crash tests. Five of eight of the largest North American semitrailer manufacturers earned top honors.

An underride guard is the metal bumper on the rear of a tractor-trailer, designed to keep smaller cars from going underneath the truck in the event of a rear-end crash. However, underride guards frequently prove ineffective, breaking or buckling in a collision. When they fail, cars slide under the rear of the trailer, crushing the cabin, as in the photo below. As you can see in the picture, vehicle occupants stand little chance of survival. […]

Truck Driver Safety Policies Will Have Life and Death Consequences

Legislation passed last week to prevent a government shutdown effectively blocked federal regulation of truck driver rest rules. This is the third time Congress has suspended driver rest rules requiring truckers to get two full nights of rest between work weeks.

Truck Driver Rest Rules

Hours-of-service regulations limit when and for how long truckers can remain on the road.

Under current law, truck drivers may drive up to 11 hours a day, and up to 70 hours over an 8-day period. A 34-hour break is required between work weeks.

The recent legislation suspended regulations that would require the 34-hour rest period to include two nights (1am-5am) before another work week can begin. The defeated regulations also prevented truckers from working 60 hours, taking a 34-hour break, and resuming another work week within a 7-day period.

The rest rules aimed to ensure that truck drivers get the rest required to do their jobs safely. […]