So, if you want to lower Truck Insurance and other administrative costs, retain good drivers, and make our roads safer for everyone, you need to address the issue of fatigue with your drivers.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), “Fatigue describes the feelings of tiredness, sleepiness, reduced energy, and increased effort needed to perform tasks at a desired level.”
“In addition to the dangers of falling asleep behind the wheel, drowsiness has serious effects on a driver’s attention, judgment, decision-making, coordination, vigilance, and reaction time,” according to the Sleep Foundation. “Drowsy drivers may find themselves weaving back and forth between lanes. They may have trouble maintaining the right speed and keeping an appropriate distance from other vehicles and may be unable to react in time to avoid an obstacle. A significant proportion of drowsy driving accidents involve a single driver driving off the road or into another lane at high speed.”
If you don’t believe driver fatigue is an issue, consider the following statistics:
Time of Day – According to the NSC, “People are physiologically programmed to sleep at night and be awake and active during the day.” Therefore, it’s no surprise that drowsy driving crashes typically occur at night or early morning.
Driving Long Hours – Our ability to focus on a task is limited. Driving for long periods can cause fatigue and affect performance.
Sleep Deprivation – Experts recommend that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep daily. Not getting enough sleep can cause a lack of alertness, excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired memory, and more.
Sleep Disorders – The Sleep Foundation reports “50 million to 70 million people have ongoing sleep disorders. The most common among them are insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.” Sleep disorders cause daytime impairment in functioning and more.
Medications – Many medications - such as antidepressants, antihistamines, blood pressure, and anti-anxiety medications - can make you drowsy and impair your ability to drive safely.
Lifestyle Factors – Certain lifestyle factors, such as poor diet, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, etc., can contribute to fatigue.
Medical Conditions –Lyme disease, HIV, heart disease, emphysema, depression, MS, Type 2 diabetes, and more can contribute to fatigue.
Understanding and minimizing the risk of driver fatigue will help reduce the risk of accidents and help lower Commercial Truck Insurance and other costs. Another way to lower Commercial Truck Insurance Costs is to work with one of the experienced independent agents at American Insuring Group. We compare rates among competing insurance providers to get you the right policy at the best price.
Call us today at (800) 947-1270 or (610) 775-3848, or connect with us online.