You’ll see a variety of vehicles driving on Mississippi roads, especially large commercial trucks. Traffic flow typically moves safely when a semi-truck driver is alert and awake. Unfortunately, this safe situation can instantly change when a trucker operates a commercial vehicle while they’re tired.
Difficulty paying attention
Paying attention is a vital life skill, especially while operating a large commercial vehicle. A trucker dealing with driver fatigue could make mistakes merging, changing lanes safely or applying braking pressure in time to avoid an accident.
Slower reflex times
As you may know, driving while tired can be comparable to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Whether due to intoxication or tiredness, either option slows a driver’s reflexes and reactions. When a commercial vehicle driver doesn’t have fast reflexes, they can end up running red lights, rear-ending other vehicles or failing to make safe turns. As you can imagine, slow driver reflexes can often result in multi-car collisions.
Falling asleep behind the wheel
In more fortunate situations, a driver can notice this situation happening and quickly wake themselves up. During worst-case scenarios, truck drivers dealing with excessive tiredness fall asleep at the wheel and sometimes never wake up. When a commercial vehicle operator grows tired, they could end up unknowingly colliding with other vehicles, pedestrians or guardrails in truck accidents.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you should consult with an experienced attorney who handles these specific types of cases. The aftermath of a trucking accident is often complex, especially considering the involvement of multiple parties, including a truck driver, the company they work for and insurance providers.
