With its size and strategic location, Houston sees its fair share of commercial trucks. When you leave home, you likely pass dozens of semi trucks on I-45, I-69 or I-10. You may not, though, think much about the health of the individual behind the wheel of a big rig.
According to a recent survey by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truck drivers tend to be less healthy than the population at large. While minor illnesses may not present much of a risk, other conditions may be downright dangerous. Here are a few times when a commercial trucker’s poor health may put you in danger.
Sleeping conditions
Drowsy driving may be as bad as drunk driving. For that reason, commercial truck drivers must comply with resting requirements. While regulations limit the number of hours truckers may drive, they cannot measure how much sleep someone has had. As such, if a driver has a sleeping condition that prevents resting effectively, he or she may not be capable of driving safely.
Diabetes
Diabetes may negatively affect a truck driver’s abilities in a couple of ways. First, a driver with low blood sugar may blackout, making controlling the vehicle virtually impossible. Alternatively, a driver may experience numbness and tingling in his or her limbs.
Addiction
The open road can be both long and boring. Still, filling the void with drugs and alcohol is incredibly dangerous. If an impaired driver smashes a semi truck into your family sedan, the odds of you sustaining a serious injury are high.
Obesity
A commercial truck driver may spend hours on the road at any given time. Unfortunately, aggressive schedules may not leave much time for exercise. Even worse, truckers may have limited access to healthy foods while on the road. Either way, obesity may affect a truck driver’s ability to control his or her vehicle.
To minimize the chances of having an accident, truck drivers must pay attention to their overall health. Nevertheless, there are a variety of conditions, illnesses and injuries that may prevent a driver from reaching his or her destination without endangering you.
