Investigators at the University of Utah School of Medicine have studied the medical records and crash histories of 49,464 commercial truck drivers in the effort to measure their safety on the road. The results, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, have shown that drivers with three or more health conditions are at least twice as likely to get in an accident. This should be of concern to trucking companies in Georgia and across the U.S.
The study revealed that 34 percent of truck drivers had medical conditions that were previously tied with poor driving performance. Taking such incidents into account, the authors stated that for every 100 million miles traveled, there were 29 crashes resulting in injuries. Among drivers with three or more health conditions, the number rose to 93 accidents for every 100 million miles. Factors like age and the amount of trucking experience did not affect the statistics.
Truck drivers sit for prolonged periods of time, face difficult sleeping conditions, and find it hard to eat healthy when on the road. This makes them more prone to conditions like heart disease, lower back pain, and diabetes. The problem, the authors believe, is that companies only pull drivers with major health concerns but do not realize how minor symptoms, when combined, can still endanger drivers.
If a trucker causes a motor vehicle accident, the victim may want to partner with an attorney. The lawyer could hire investigators to find evidence of negligence. If it turns out that the company did not pull an unhealthy driver, then they could be at fault.
