Commercial truck drivers and crash risk

Commercial truck drivers in California and the rest of the country who suffer from three or more medical conditions may be four times as likely to be in an accident. This is according to the findings of a study conducted at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

The findings also indicate that maintaining good health can be difficult for truck drivers due to the nature of their work, which often involves sitting down for long stretches of time as well as poor eating habits and sleeping behaviors. The study's lead author stated that the results show a link between declining health and an increase in crash risk, including the crashes that could be prevented by truck drivers.

For the study, researchers evaluated the health records for almost 50,000 commercial truck drivers. Nearly 35 percent of the drivers showed signs of having one or more health issues, including diabetes, lower back pain and heart disease, linked to poor driving behavior.

Researchers also studied the crash histories of the truck drivers. They found that drivers who had at least three of the flagged health conditions had a higher chance of having been in a crash.

The researchers found that the crash ratio involving injury among all truckers was 29 per 100 million miles driven. The ratio for the drivers who had a minimum of three ailments jumped to 93 per 100 million miles driven.

A motorist who has been injured in a commercial truck accident may want to consult with a personal injury attorney. If the truck driver was speeding, had improperly secured cargo, or was drowsy driving, the lawyer may be able to file a lawsuit for damages.