Drowsy Driving Suspected in Two-Truck Wreck

Truck crashes are a significant problem around Oklahoma City due to heavy traffic and the presence of the many trucks that cross Oklahoma on the way to other states. In 2012, there were 4,876 truck crashes in the state. Tractor-trailer crashes that year killed 94 people.

Recently, two tractor-trailers collided on Interstate 35, about 50 miles south of Oklahoma City, seriously injuring two people. A truck driver who reportedly was sleepy crashed his truck into the rear of the other truck. The sleepy driver and a passenger in his truck were airlifted to a hospital in Oklahoma City.

The crash blocked southbound traffic on I-35 for several hours.

To reduce drowsy driving, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration establishes strict limits on how long truckers can drive without a break. But violations are common. In 2012, the agency issued an order to stop operations of two Kansas trucking companies. The federal agency noted that most of the companies’ truckers had falsified records to spend more time behind the wheel than permitted.

In its order to the Kansas trucking companies, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration stated: “You dispatch drivers to the highways in a potentially fatigued or excessively fatigued condition and without regard for their or the public’s safety. Your actions substantially increase the likelihood of serious injury or death to drivers … and to the motoring public.”

This accident near Oklahoma City underscores the danger of fatigued driving. With nearly 5.6 million semi trucks registered in the U.S., big trucks are an important part of the economy. But drowsy 18-wheeler drivers pose a threat to safety on the road.

The Oklahoma personal injury lawyers at Burch, George & Germany, P.C., are ready to help if you have been injured in a semi truck wreck, motorcycle collision or other car accident. We serve residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Norman, and beyond, providing compassionate and effective legal representation in Oklahoma personal injury cases.

Sources:

• OK.gov
• PaulsValleyDemocrat.com
• FMCSA.dot.gov
• PopularMechanics.com