Large trucks travel to and through Connecticut regularly. Those who drive passenger vehicles may be accustomed to their presence and not consider the potential dangers these large vehicles present. However, truckers cover great distances at significant speeds. A truck accident can lead to personal injury and fatalities. It is important to not just be vigilant about the dangers but to pay attention to research regarding collisions.
A recent study suggests that truckers who ingest more caffeinated drinks have a greater propensity of being in an accident than truckers who consume less. The current climate across the United States makes this worrisome as the hours-of-service rules have been suspended for drivers delivering essential items. The study showed a disparity of 6% between the number of accidents truckers who had consumed over five cups of coffee in a day versus truckers who drank one.
There were more than 3,000 truckers assessed. For those who drank five cups per day, 27.8% had an accident in the past three years. If a driver consumed one cup, that figure was 21.6%. Researchers made certain to point out that there are other risk factors involved. Simply because a trucker had substantial levels of caffeine in his or her system did not eliminate other possible reasons for the higher number of crashes. Those who consumed more coffee also had poorer diets, smoked, slept less, were heavier drinkers of alcohol and had worse health in general.
The change to hours-of-service regulations is key because drivers could be drowsier and believe that caffeine can help them stay awake and alert to drive longer. This research indicates that despite the perceived benefits of caffeine, there might be other problems with using it. People who are on the road will not expect to be in a collision. Their lives can be upended with the litany of problems that come about after sustaining a personal injury or losing a loved one in a crash. To address those challenges and seek compensation in a legal filing, a law firm with a history of helping those negatively impacted by a car crash may be able to help.
