The truck driver who plowed into comedian Tracy Morgan’s limo bus on June 7, killing one person and injuring five others, had not slept for 24 hours, according to authorities.
Fatigued driving is one of the primary causes of serious crashes involving tractor-trailers. Being fatigued can affect the driving behavior of some truckers in much the same way as being under the influence of alcohol.
The 35-year-old Wal-Mart truck driver did not realize the traffic in front of him on the New Jersey Turnpike had slowed down, and when he tried to swerve at the last second, he hit the limo bus, causing it to spin and flip. The accident set off a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, according to an article on Autoblog.
Morgan sustained serious injuries, including numerous broken bones, and one of his fellow comedians, James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, was killed. Morgan underwent surgery following the crash.
The truck driver is charged with death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, USA Today reports.
As Autoblog reported, this story is hauntingly familiar to Ron Wood, a Washington, D.C., resident whose mother, sister and three nephews were killed in 2004 when a sleep-deprived trucker ran across the median and hit their vehicle head-on. The driver of that truck hadn’t slept for 35 straight hours.
Not only is Wood still mourning the loss of his family, he’s upset that 10 years later fatigued trucker drivers remain a menace on the nation’s roads and that U.S. senators are considering watering down hours-of-service rules for truckers, according to the article.
Deaths and injuries stemming from truck-related crashes have increased three straight years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 3,920 people died and 104,000 suffered injuries in truck wrecks in 2012. And because of the size difference between tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles, 98 percent of the people killed were occupants of cars.
Chronic fatigue, a high risk of crashes and serious health conditions are associated with working long daily and weekly hours, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says. The agency adopted rules in 2013 that limit truckers to a maximum average work week of 70 hours.
Truckers who reach the maximum can resume driving only after 34 consecutive hours of rest, including at least two sleep periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The rules also require truckers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours on a shift.
The FMCSA estimated at the time that the safety regulations would save 19 lives and prevent approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries each year.
Despite the dangers of fatigued driving, the U.S. Senate is set to consider amending the rules. Just days before Morgan’s crash, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to suspend the requirement for a 34-hour rest period for truckers.
It shouldn’t take a catastrophic wreck involving a celebrity to raise awareness about important safety issues in America. But the accident involving his limo bus should awaken the Senate to the hazards of fatigued driving and make lawmakers realize that undercutting hours-of-service rules for truckers is bad for everyone on the nation’s highways.
The problem of overly tired truckers is also an issue in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas of Florida and Georgia. The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic has handled a multitude of traffic accident cases involving fatigued truck drivers.
The truck driver who plowed into comedian Tracy Morgan’s limo bus on June 7, killing one person and injuring five others, had not slept for 24 hours, according to authorities.
Fatigued driving is one of the primary causes of serious crashes involving tractor-trailers. Being fatigued can affect the driving behavior of some truckers in much the same way as being under the influence of alcohol.
The 35-year-old Wal-Mart truck driver did not realize the traffic in front of him on the New Jersey Turnpike had slowed down, and when he tried to swerve at the last second, he hit the limo bus, causing it to spin and flip. The accident set off a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, according to an article on Autoblog.
Morgan sustained serious injuries, including numerous broken bones, and one of his fellow comedians, James “Jimmy Mack” McNair, was killed. Morgan underwent surgery following the crash.
The truck driver is charged with death by auto and four counts of assault by auto, USA Today reports.
As Autoblog reported, this story is hauntingly familiar to Ron Wood, a Washington, D.C., resident whose mother, sister and three nephews were killed in 2004 when a sleep-deprived trucker ran across the median and hit their vehicle head-on. The driver of that truck hadn’t slept for 35 straight hours.
Not only is Wood still mourning the loss of his family, he’s upset that 10 years later fatigued trucker drivers remain a menace on the nation’s roads and that U.S. senators are considering watering down hours-of-service rules for truckers, according to the article.
Deaths and injuries stemming from truck-related crashes have increased three straight years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 3,920 people died and 104,000 suffered injuries in truck wrecks in 2012. And because of the size difference between tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles, 98 percent of the people killed were occupants of cars.
Chronic fatigue, a high risk of crashes and serious health conditions are associated with working long daily and weekly hours, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says. The agency adopted rules in 2013 that limit truckers to a maximum average work week of 70 hours.
Truckers who reach the maximum can resume driving only after 34 consecutive hours of rest, including at least two sleep periods from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The rules also require truckers to take a 30-minute break during the first eight hours on a shift.
The FMCSA estimated at the time that the safety regulations would save 19 lives and prevent approximately 1,400 crashes and 560 injuries each year.
Despite the dangers of fatigued driving, the U.S. Senate is set to consider amending the rules. Just days before Morgan’s crash, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to suspend the requirement for a 34-hour rest period for truckers.
It shouldn’t take a catastrophic wreck involving a celebrity to raise awareness about important safety issues in America. But the accident involving his limo bus should awaken the Senate to the hazards of fatigued driving and make lawmakers realize that undercutting hours-of-service rules for truckers is bad for everyone on the nation’s highways.
The problem of overly tired truckers is also an issue in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas of Florida and Georgia. The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic has handled a multitude of traffic accident cases involving fatigued truck drivers.