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Truck crashes put spotlight on driver fatigue

On Behalf of | Apr 16, 2019 | Truck Accidents

Truck driver fatigue can result in serious crashes on Oklahoma roadways. Under current regulations, truck drivers are allowed to work for 14 hours per day and spend 11 of those hours driving. Truckers are required to record the hours that they work in an electronic log. While driver safety is a top priority for trucking companies, it is not always possible to prevent accidents from occurring.

This may be true even when communities build roads aimed at easing traffic in a given area. In North Dakota, the Highway 23 bypass, a $25 million construction project, was built in New Town to make it safer to drive on Main Street. However, on Oct. 5, 2018, a commercial truck drove over the center line of the road and ran into another vehicle. A similar accident occurred in 2017 on the same bypass involving two commercial vehicles that ran into each other and caused a fiery blaze.

Both accidents resulted in fatalities and put a spotlight on the issue of trucker fatigue. The crashes also called into question whether the bypass was safe to use. According to the North Dakota Vision Zero Plan, 67 percent of truck accidents between 2012 and 2016 occurred in the state’s oil counties.

A truck accident victim may be left with a permanent disability that could make it difficult or impossible to work again. Someone who is hurt in a crash may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and other damages. An attorney might be able to help a victim pursue a favorable outcome in a personal injury case.