My biggest fear...falling asleep ...then waking up to 10 years in prison
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Tucker Carlson defends Truck Driver in Tracy Morgan crash
- Thread starter asjssl
- Start date
I would say its reckless to fall asleep behind the wheel. Similar if someone drinks or takes drugs before getting behind the wheel. If you're getting sleepy, you need to get off the road. If you nod off,bad things will happen .You're driving extremely heavy vehicles that can cause tremendous damage to other vehicles.
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Answering Tucker's question, yes someone has gone to jail for falling asleep,causing an accident, and death.
USATODAY.com - Trucker charged in Indiana mistaken-identity crash
USATODAY.com - Trucker charged in Indiana mistaken-identity crash
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
When bidding on long loads that say "pick ASAP, drop direct" we try to also provide transit time of 50 MPH.
If you don't mess around that usually provides for at least a good couple of hour nap to still stay "on time" with the quoted transit time.
We haven't had a broker question an ETA yet. We also haven't failed that quoted transit time yet.
If you don't mess around that usually provides for at least a good couple of hour nap to still stay "on time" with the quoted transit time.
We haven't had a broker question an ETA yet. We also haven't failed that quoted transit time yet.
At 50 MPH you aren't likely to get a broker to question it, as most carriers figure 45 or 47 MPH, with a few (although more and more) carriers using the 50 MPH. 45 is better, especially on trips longer than about 600 miles, so that you can account for fuel stops and still have time for an hour or two nap.
It is, without any doubt, the responsibility of the driver to NOT fall asleep at the wheel.
WanderngFool
Active Expediter
Not a day goes by that I don't worry about it. Not just falling asleep. Having an inattentive/distracted moment and bam, people are hurt (or worse) and you're behind bars.
I was listening to a report on the radio the other day about a corporate owned prison in Idaho. It's so bad the inmates call it "gladiator school". It seems the corporation that owns it has figured out that it can cut it's payroll costs by letting the dominant gang do security. Why pay guards when thugs will do the job for free?
Privatized, corporation owned prisons are evil beyond words imo.
That is what I was getting at....WE ALL take our eyes off the road to grab something...look to the left at something cool...bam there is a car on the shoulder on the right...next thing you know your empting your bank account for a good lawyer...
ALSO what is the legal definition of fatigued driving??
This isn't just a heavyweight problem. Even an empty CV can do more than its share of damage if you fall asleep behind the wheel. On a long trip, better allow some rest time. If the freight is that tight that you can't afford a break, it shoulda gone by air to begin with-- besides, it won't get there faster if you're upside down and in flames.
OK, now you know: Yes, I WILL be late if I have to, because falling asleep behind the wheel doesn't help anybody.
OK, now you know: Yes, I WILL be late if I have to, because falling asleep behind the wheel doesn't help anybody.
Driving while fatigued.
Different states define it differently. Some states, like New Jersey, say that if you have been without sleep for 24 hours and are driving, it's reckless driving. Other states use, "as operating a motor vehicle when the driver’s alertness is so impaired, through fatigue, that it makes it unsafe for the driver to begin or continue to drive." There's only about 10 or 15 states with laws specifically mentioning fatigued or drowsy driving. The rest just use reckless.
Yes, we all take our eyes off the road at times, but the careful driver is deliberately choosy about it, sometimes waiting to do it, when there's less chance of missing something. We also remember that the hand always follows the eye: look down to your left, and you may look back up to see the vehicle moving left, too. If it happens, we don't overreact & jerk the wheel back, because a truck does not react well to being jerked around that way - it might just lay down and slide a ways. [I know someone who did that: lost the job and the truck was toast.]
We also don't drive when sleepy, ever, for any reason. The worst case scenario for taking a nap is a service failure, [assuming it isn't a habit] which is nowhere near as bad as a wreck. I've never had to choose, but if I did, it's a no brainer: safety first.
IMO, driving sleepy is as bad as driving drunk, and as preventable.
Daffyduck528
Expert Expediter
I agree. There have been a few occasions where I was going to pass something I wanted to see but once I actually got to it the road or traffic conditions dictated that I couldn't even get a glance in. It sucked, but I'd rather live to have a chance to see it again some day.
WanderngFool
Active Expediter
Whoa.
“It’s my road move or get hit!”
“It’s my road move or get hit!”
