Fatigued Driving Becomes Hot Topic in California

Fatigued Driving Becomes Hot Topic in California

• October 12, 2024
• Categories: Vehicle Accidents

Severe fatigue among commercial vehicle drivers is becoming a grave concern in California.  In the blink of an eye, an 80,000-pound big rig or a bus loaded with passengers can turn into a deadly crash when the driver falls asleep or loses focus due to fatigue.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), 10% to 20% of large truck or bus crashes involved a tired driver. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study shows that 1 in 25 drivers surveyed reported that they had fallen asleep while driving in the past 30 days.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), signs of driver fatigue include:

• Missing an exit
• Yawning or blinking frequently
• Drifting from a lane or hitting a rumble strip
• Wandering or disconnected thoughts (daydreaming)
• Difficulty remembering driving the past few miles.

Drivers who are most at risk for fatigue, according to the OTS, include:

• Commercial drivers (large trucks, tow trucks, tractor trailers or buses) who travel long distances and often at night
• People with untreated sleep disorders
• Graveyard shift workers and employees on rotating or long shifts
• Young drivers (more than 50 percent of drowsy driving crashes involved drivers under the age of 25).

Bus and Truck Crashes Can Be Caused by Fatigued Driving

A fatal bus crash in California’s Central Valley a few years ago was caused by a “severely sleep-deprived driver” and a bus company with an abysmal safety record. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the bus driver in the fatal crash had slept only five hours over the previous 40 hours before the wreck. The bus was going from Los Angeles to Modesto and drifted off the right side of Rt. 99. It hit a highway signpost that almost tore the bus in half. There were no skid marks or any indications the bus driver tried to avoid or prevent the crash.

In addition to fatigue, the NTSB stated another factor was poor federal agency oversight in regulating bus safety. Autobuses Coordinados USA Inc., based in Fresno, was allowed to continue to operate buses even though it had a very poor safety record. The NTSB called upon the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to update its rating system to ensure that companies remedy serious safety problems or be removed from the road.

Autobuses Coordinados failed 8 of 29 inspections in less than 24 months. Its out-of-service rate was 500% above the U.S. average. Still, it earned a satisfactory rating for safety from FMCSA. Three months after the fatal crash, FMCSA did shut down the bus company, but it was too little, too late.

This was not the only bus crash that led to fatalities. Fatigue also was to blame in a crash that killed 13 on I-10 near Palm Springs a year earlier. A charter bus going from a casino slammed into the back of a tractor trailer; the sleep-deprived bus driver failed to stop for traffic that had backed up due to utility work.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a bus or truck crash where the commercial driver was fatigued, you may be entitled to financial compensation.  Contact a bus crash lawyer or truck accident lawyer at Neale & Fhima to find out about your rights and legal options.  We fight aggressively to get the maximum payout possible for our clients.

Driver Fatigue Is a Big Problem on California Highways

There are far too many deadly accidents on California highways from fatigued bus and truck drivers. The FMCSA reported recently that 13% of national commercial vehicle crashes are caused at least in part by driver fatigue. There are several reasons for this problem that leads to thousands of injuries and deaths on roads across America every year:

• The average commercial truck driver receives only five hours of sleep per night, but average adults need seven to nine hours.
• Commercial vehicle drivers feel pressure to keep driving, so they do not get enough sleep.
• Companies pay drivers by the mile, so it is common for logbooks to be falsified. The drivers want to make more money, so they drive beyond their limits.

All too often, trucking companies and bus companies put profits before citizens’ safety, and disaster can occur.  People are severely injured and killed when transportation companies are negligent.

Have You Been in a Truck or Bus Accident? Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney Today.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured by a fatigued commercial vehicle driver, or for any other reason, you need a law firm fighting aggressively for your legal rights. Our Los Angeles personal injury attorneys at Neale & Fhima will work tirelessly on your behalf to secure a fair settlement or verdict for your bus or truck accident injuries. Consulting with a vehicle accident lawyer is the first step in understanding your legal options.  For a free consultation, contact Neale & Fhima at 888-407-2955 or complete our online consultation form.  You and your loved ones don’t have to suffer alone.  We’re here to help.