This poses a significant safety hazard to both truck drivers, and the private-vehicle drivers traveling on those same roads. It’s not uncommon to see highway rest stops overwhelmed with trucks, and miles of freeway shoulders adjacent to rest areas lined with trucks. On too many highways, both state and federal, there aren’t enough rest areas to serve the needs of high-volume truck traffic mandated to take a break. In the vital quest to save lives, an obvious shortcoming emerged. Also, drivers may be on duty for up to 14 hours - with a mandatory 30-minute break by their eighth hour - following 10 hours off duty. They include limits of 60 hours of driving over a seven consecutive-day period, or 70 hours over eight days. State regulations vary, but the federal government established stringent rules. In this regard, the most important policy is limiting the length of time drivers can legally drive before taking a rest. In response to this significant daily threat, state and federal transportation administrators and policymakers took action to reduce tired driving, particularly among truck drivers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year are caused by drowsy drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, tired drivers are responsible for over 70,000 crashes a year, causing nearly 45,000 injuries.
It’s unavoidable - approximately one in every five fatal vehicular crashes involve driver fatigue a third of crashes involving a drowsy driver result in injuries. You can also use bungee cords or tie down straps to latch your truck’s doors shut from the inside.Anyone spending significant time driving on America’s highways sees firsthand the dangers of fatigued driving. Consider installing a dash cam for extra peace of mind. Sometimes just the sight of them is enough to deter potential thieves. If you’re going to sleep in your truck, close all your windows, put up window screens, and keep valuables out of sight. Parking near plenty of bright lights will decrease your chances of being targeted by thieves. Seek out truck stops and department store parking lots that are filled with floodlights. It will be much quicker and easier getting back on the road if you choose a spot you can either pull through or back into. If you must park there, it’s not a bad idea to take down their license plate and DOT information. If the truck next to you is parked over the line, or at an angle, try finding a different spot. But parking spots on the end of rows, and in the front third of a parking lot, are where the heaviest traffic and highest chance of accidents are.
It will be tempting to grab the closest spot when you pull in tired. If you can’t park early, try reserving a parking spot at the truck stop where you plan on stopping. If you start your day earlier, you can park before others. Truck stops usually start filling up early in the evening. Pre-plan when and where you’re going to stop each day. Obviously, the goal is to avoid highly congested areas and areas with high crime. Tools like Google Earth and the TruckerPath app are great ways to see how crowded an area is in real time. While these tips won’t make new parking spots magically appear, they can help you park smarter and sleep easier. If you look only at the responses of commercial drivers, truck parking is the second most critical issue. In 2017, truck parking ranked fourth overall on the ATRI’s list of Critical Issues in the Trucking Industry survey. There’s no question that lack of available parking is a major challenge for truck drivers across the United States. Even after the introduction of Jason’s Law back in 2012, commercial drivers are still struggling to consistently find safe parking spots.