Every driver shares Indiana roads. This means pedestrian vehicles and large cargo delivery trucks often drive together. Under normal circumstances, this is not a problem.
Unfortunately, dangerous driving habits make it risky for vehicles to share road space. Today we will look at the risks of drowsy driving. We will examine how drowsy driving impacts the trucking industry in particular.
The prevalence of drowsy driving in truckers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examine the driving behaviors of truckers across the state. Some drivers engage in unsafe driving behaviors. Among them is drowsy driving.
Why are unsafe driving practices so common? At a glance, some of it stems from problems within the industry. Truck drivers must cover a lot of distance in one day. To do so, they often sacrifice valuable sleep. Sometimes their companies even encourage them to skimp on sleep to get more work done. They may do this in an unintentional way through incentives. Unscrupulous companies may do it intentionally.
“Tough guy” trucking culture and drowsy driving
There is also a strong “tough guy” culture among truck drivers. Many view sleep deprivation as a risk of the job. They scoff at drivers who complain about not getting enough sleep. Some brag about how long they go without rest.
When combined, this leads to a culture in which drivers take their lives into their own hands. But they also take the lives of other drivers into their hands when they do this. Trucks are large and heavy. Because of that, any crash they get into will damage the other vehicle. They often do not suffer as much damage. This is something for all truckers to keep in mind when making these gambles.