Study: Tired Drivers as Dangerous as Drunk Drivers

Posted on behalf of Daniel Clayton in Car Accidents

Although a lot of attention is given to the dangers associated with drunk driving, a recent study has found that drowsy driving is just as dangerous.

The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study which looked at data from hospital patients who had been admitted into care for more than 24 hours after getting into a motor vehicle accident. Police reports, blood alcohol levels and patient questionnaires were also analyzed. Specifically, patients were asked questions related to how tired they were before getting in an accident. They were also asked whether or not they were taking any medications.

In this study, a main focus was the effect of a driver taking a medication that carries a warning about side effects that could affect a person's driving ability. Surprising to the researchers was that those on these types of medications actually had a lower risk for causing an accident. The lead researcher said this could be due to the fact that people taking these medications are more cautious since they know about the possible side effects.

However, when it came to being drunk or sleepy, the study found that both factors make a driver at least twice as likely to cause an accident. Of course, this can result in injuries to not only the driver, but also other people who are also out on the roadways.

The study analyzed data from 679 drivers who were in accidents.  According to the study, around half of those drivers were the ones responsible for causing the crashes. Of those, it was determined that those between the ages of 18 and 29 who had either been drinking or were tired had an increased risk of being the one to cause an actual accident.

What this means for the general public is that it's important to make sure to obviously never drive after drinking, but to also take driving tired just as serious. This means that if you are tired, take a short nap or drink some coffee - and wait for it to kick in - before driving. Realize, however, that caffeine will wear off!

Additionally, remember things like rolling down the window, turning on the air conditioning or blasting loud music masks how tired you are, but does not take away the risk of getting into an accident.

I had previously written about how up to 31% of Truck/Bus Accidents were caused by driver fatigue.

Source: Reuters, "Sleepy, drunk driver equally dangerous: study," Andrew Seaman, May 30, 2012

Tags: Car Accidents, Driver Fatigue, Drunk-Driving Accidents, Trucking Accidents

Sleep Apnea and Commercial and Truck Drivers: A Deadly Combination

Posted by Daniel Clayton, www.DanielClaytonLaw.com in motor vehicle accidents

People who experience pauses during sleep could possibly have a life-threatening breathing disorder called sleep apnea. These breathing interruptions can occur up to 400 times a night and last for 10 seconds or more. It is difficult for people to recognize the symptoms of sleep apnea in themselves, so it often goes undiagnosed.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), around 28 percent of commercial truck drivers may have obstructive sleep apnea, which is a scary combination. Around 17 percent have mild sleep apnea, while close to 6 percent have a moderate form and almost 5 percent have severe sleep apnea.
One study noted that drivers with untreated sleep apnea have a higher risk of being involved in a truck accident. The study also indicated that during a series of performance tests, drivers with untreated sleep apnea fared worse than those with higher than legal blood alcohol concentrations for commercial truckers. This research shows that for any commercial drivers with symptoms of sleep apnea, being on the road is a dangerous and potentially fatal situation.
Typical symptoms of sleep apnea are a combination of loud snoring, daytime fatigue, sleeping at odd times, memory difficulties, lack of focus, irritability and morning headaches. While sleep apnea can afflict men or women of any age, people who are overweight, smoke, drink alcohol, have large neck sizes or who are over 40-years-old are at an increased risk. Additionally, people with family members who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop it. After sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated, many commercial drivers can once again take to the road to perform their jobs safely.
For commercial truck drivers who suspect they may have sleep apnea, it is best to visit a qualified state medical examiner for a medical fitness evaluation. Many states have medical requirements for commercial drivers that include sleep apnea as a disqualifying condition when it is moderate to severe and prevents safe driving practices. Drivers with mild to moderate sleep apnea can undergo treatment, however, to requalify for their commercial driving licenses.
It is safer for both commercial truckers and others on the road if those operators with moderate to severe sleep apnea have limited driving privileges.
Source: “Sleep Apnea and Commercial Drivers,” Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Tags: sleep apnea, truck accidents

Posted in Personal Injury|Tagged sleep apnea, truck accidents|Leave a comment

 

Truck Drivers Using Cell Phones - Ban It

Posted on behalf of Daniel L. Clayton, selected as the ‘Nashville Best Lawyers Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year’ for 2012, in Trucking Accidents

After a tragic truck accident, the National Transportation Safety Board asked the federal government to make a law that would ban all truckers from using cellphones. That request became a reality when the federal government enacted a handheld cellphone ban for all commercial vehicle drivers.
Under this new ban, those truck drivers who are caught talking on their cellphone while driving can be fined up to $2,750. Additionally, trucking companies can also get in trouble for allowing their drivers to talk on the phone while driving. According to sources, if it’s learned that a company is allowing the use of handheld cellphones, the company can end up being fined up to $11,000.
This cellphone ban also includes all commercial vehicle drivers, like truck drivers, taxi drivers, limousine drivers and bus drivers. However, while handheld phones are banned, drivers can still use hands free phones.
And while the ban does come with some pushback from truck drivers who claim their phones are their only way to connect with family and maintain contact with the rest of the world, some companies are totally on board with the idea. One taxi company owner said that even before the ban, he never allowed his drivers to talk on their phones while driving.
“You take your eyes off the road for a second and anything can happen,” the owner said.
The hope is that with this ban, drivers will not be driving distracted by their cellphones. In turn, this could result in less truck accidents in not only Tennessee, but around the rest of the country too.
Source: KAAL, “Federal Law Bans Handheld Cell Phones,” Gordon Severson, Jan. 4, 2012

Tags: Cellphone Use, Distracted Drivers, Trucking Accidents

Posted in Truck Accidents|Tagged Cellphone Use, Distracted Drivers, Trucking Accidents|Leave a comment

Driver Fatigue Responsbile for many Bus and Truck Accidents

On behalf of Daniel Clayton posted in Trucking Accidents

Several disturbing commercial bus accidents over the past several months have put the spotlight on federal regulations and industry practices in both the motor coach and commercial trucking industries. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), studies show that between 13 and 31 percent of commercial bus and trucking accidents are caused by driver fatigue — and the industries’ economic models probably contribute directly to the problem.
Bus and trucking companies work to strict schedules, and those schedules often require overnight driving. According to sleep scientists, even experienced drivers with no other medical issues will always find it a challenge to stay awake on overnight runs — especially when driving between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. when the body’s natural rhythms are urging us to sleep.
Added to that is a high rate of obesity and sleep apnea among commercial bus and truck drivers. Those medical issues can make it even harder for drivers to remain awake and alert in challenging conditions, according to transportation and public safety consultant Darrel Drobnich, who is an expert on driver fatigue.
“No matter how much sleep you have had, no matter how young you are, that time of day is extremely dangerous to drive a motor vehicle,” he explains.
Sleep scientists, labor leaders and safety advocates say that the motor coach and trucking industry policies result in far too many drivers on the road with too little rest
Federal regulations mandate a certain amount of rest for commercial drivers, although the rules vary between commercial truck drivers, bus drivers and others. For example, commercial truckers with Class A licenses are permitted to drive no longer than 11 hours before they must take a 10-hour break. The 11-hour driving period can be extended slightly if the driver takes off-duty breaks within the shift rather than driving straight through, but they can only be on duty for a total of 14 hours before they must go off duty.
Bus drivers are only allowed to drive for 10 hours before they must go off duty for 8 hours, but taking breaks can extend the total amount of time they are on duty. Even if their on-duty time isn’t extended, bus drivers can drive for 10 hours, take 8 hours off, and then drive for another 10 hours — meaning they can legally work two full 10-hour shifts in only 28 hours.
“The consequence is an entire industry populated by people not getting enough sleep,” said Larry Hanley, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents commercial bus drivers.
Of course, challenging schedules and tight profit margins do encourage some companies and drivers to ignore the rules. After bus or trucking accidents, it is often discovered that drivers were on the road for far longer than was legal — sometimes using false log books to deflect scrutiny.
The NTSB is urging the government to replace paper log books with electronic devices that keep track of how many hours drivers are actually on the road. Other proposals include mandating more frequent rest stops during shifts or even requiring a second driver in every truck.
Source: Associated Press, “Fatal Va. bus crash shines light on driver fatigue,” Joan Lowy, June 11, 2011

Tags: Bus Accidents, Causes of Trucking Accidents, Driver Fatigue, NTSB, Trucking Accidents

Posted in Truck Accidents|Tagged bus accidents, causes of trucking accidents, Driver Fatigue, Trucking Accidents|Leave a comment

Accident Fatalities Going Up in Tennessee

On behalf of Daniel Clayton posted in Wrongful Death

Recently, I posted on the fact that law enforcement in Tennessee was going to be cracking down on risky driving behaviors in the hopes of combating the traffic fatality toll that has been on the increase so far this year. At that time, Kendell Poole, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office in Nashville reported that there had already been 238 fatal motor vehicle accidents in the state. Now, just a few short weeks later, that total number has already climbed over 300.
In response to this drastic increase, aside from extra enforcement, Tennessee motorists may have also noticed electronic message boards along the interstates showing the current total number of people who have died in a motor vehicle accident so far this year. Last Friday the sign reported the number was 317. By Monday it was already at 331.
When looking at what is causing this increase — after so many years of decreases — Poole points to the fact that the weather turned warmer earlier this year, which means more people are out and about. Specifically, more people are also out on their motorcycles.
Statistically speaking, motorcyclists and drivers not wearing seat belts have accounted for 41 percent more deaths so far for this year than in 2011.
Poole also said that his office is really concentrated on getting the message of safe driving to men between the ages of 18 and 34. He said this demographic is more likely to not wear a seat belt and to drink and drive, which greatly increases the risk of getting into an accident.
Source: The Tennessean, “Death toll soars on Tennessee’s roads,” Brian Haas, May 9, 2012

Tags: Car Accidents, Motorcycle accidents, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death

Posted in Wrongful Death|Tagged Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Wrongful Death|Leave a comment

Stability Control for Trucks and Buses

Posted on behalf of Daniel Clayton, selected as the ‘Nashville Best Lawyers Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year’ for 2012, in Trucking Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently proposed making it a regulation for all large trucks and buses to come with electronic stability control. The idea is that this safety system, which became a requirement this year for passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs, could result in the prevention of thousands of crashes and hundreds of personal injuries throughout the country.
The safety system works by automatically applying the brakes to individual wheels on a truck or bus, including a motor coach, as soon as a driver starts to lose control. This electronic stability control, which can sense when the driver is about to lose control, would then help to stop the vehicle from rolling over.
This stability safety system would also kick on to prevent a truck or bus from skidding on a slippery road, or from flipping over when a driver suddenly jerks a wheel to avoid an object in a roadway.
According to the NHTSA, the technology could end up preventing more than 2,300 crashes a year that involve larger buses and trucks. This in turn would result in preventing somewhere between 649 and 858 injuries and another 49 to 60 deaths.
So far, safety advocates are fans of this recent proposal, with the president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety really driving home how important this would be in terms of buses as millions of families use motor coaches as a way to travel.
Of course, while rollovers are not the only type of accidents involving trucks and buses, they are some of the deadliest. But what do you think about this proposal? Should it be mandated? What other steps can be taken to reduce the number of crashes involving large trucks and buses in Tennessee?
Source: Business Week, “Gov’t proposal aimed at bus, truck rollovers,” Joan Lowy, May 16, 2012

Tags: Bus Accidents, Rollover Accidents, Trucking Accidents

Posted in Truck Accidents|Tagged bus accidents, rollover accidents, Trucking Accidents|Leave a comment

The Role Fatigue Plays in Surgical Errors

Whenever anyone goes in for any type of surgical procedure, it’s natural to want to believe that the surgeon involved is well-rested and that fatigue would not be impairing their decisions. And while this may be the case with many surgeons, a recent study looking at first-year surgical residents found the opposite to be a true roughly a quarter of the time. In fact, 27 percent of the time, their fatigue was on par with the mental “impairment” of someone who is intoxicated. Naturally, this level of fatigue also increased their hypothetical chances of making medical mistakes.
The study examined orthopedic surgical residents at two separate hospitals. These residents were initially asked questions related to their sleep and exercise habits, as well as their use of any sedatives, alcohol or other stimulants. In addition, the residents all wore an “actigraphy” type of wristwatch that would record a person’s movement in order to determine their level of activity.
From here, researchers found that on average, residents get roughly five and a half hours of sleep and were only using about 70 percent of their mental effectiveness about a quarter of the time. By only using 70 percent of their mental effectiveness, researchers also found there to be a 22 percent greater risk of them making some sort of a medical mistake than those doctors who had gotten enough rest.
However, when looking at this study and the amount of risk, it is important to note that the risk is a prediction that was based on how tired the residents were. The actual number of medical mistakes was not assessed in this study.
This study was also started in 2010 and went into 2011. During this time, rules were put in place that bars a first-year resident from working longer than a 16 hour shift. And while one can argue that the rule was put in place as a way to try and combat fatigue in the field, researchers from this study point to the fact that there is a good chance that more still needs to be done to prevent fatigue.
Source: Reuters, “Tired surgical residents may up error risk: study,” Andrew M. Seaman, May 21, 2012
Tags: Medical Malpractice, Surgical Error

Posted in Medical Malpractice|Tagged Medical Malpractice, surgical errors|Leave a comment