Is driver fatigue a safety problem in the motor carrier industry?
Yes. Fatigue has been a major factor in truck crashes for many years. Major studies by the National Transportation Safety Board, Australian researchers, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the AAA Foundation, as well as surveys of drivers themselves, clearly indicated that the contribution of fatigue to commercial vehicle crashes and fatal truck crashes is far greater than claimed by the government and industry. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) performed a new analysis of data for the proposed hours of service rule and found that fatigue directly contributes to about 15 percent of all fatal truck crash deaths and serious injuries each year. This means that more than 750 people die and nearly 20 thousand are seriously injured on our roads and streets each year due directly to fatigued drivers of medium and heavy commercial vehicles.
