What are the most common safety hazards of being a truck driver?

Is truck driving dangerous?  the answer is yes.  Every time a driver sits behind the wheel of a truck,  he is at risk.  In fact,  truck driving has been declared as one of the top 25 deadliest occupations in America,  where truck driving takes the 7th position. This is the reason why truck drivers face the highest number of fatalities in a year.

While there are several  Industries that are gradually getting safer with time,  recent data reveals that trucking is getting deadlier. Compared to 792 fatalities in the year 2017,  there were more than 1600 tracker accidents that occurred in the year 2022. This shows a clear hike in the number of accidents that are caused by these big vehicles on road. To learn more about truck accidents and how to file a claim,  let’s discuss the most common safety hazards of being a truck driver.

Driving when you are distracted or tired

The number one cause of the increase in truck accidents is distracted driving. Either the truck drivers are distracted while they are driving or they are extremely tired due to long hours of operation. Nearly half of truck accidents could be prevented by improved focus and extra sleep. You might think that you are experienced enough to drive a truck even while you feel sleepy but this is not something that is recommended.  Whenever you are tired,  you might become distracted while driving.  even driving for one extra hour can get dangerous.

Driving too fast in poor weather conditions

Most professional drivers are aware of the fact that the road and weather conditions play a big role in your safety. Drivers also face a lot of pressure to meet their lines regarding drop times and hence they are often in a hurry. It is probably the easiest way to tell yourself that driving a little faster will help you meet your deadline. But you might fail to carefully evaluate the weather and road conditions while being in a hurry to reach the destination.

What are some of the physical hazards of being a truck driver?

• Being exposed to engine noise for a very long time can lead to immediate headaches and also hearing loss in the long term
• Exposure to extreme cold or heat climate conditions can have a detrimental effect on your health, for example, frostbite and heat stroke
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation
• Whole body vibrations can damage your musculoskeletal functions and contribute to fatigue

What are the psychological hazards of being a truck driver?

• You can be exposed to violence, for instance,  you can become the target of a crime targeted at valuable loaded products as well as physical violence at rest stops
• Increased level of stress or psychological discomfort due to prolonged absence from home and family life

So, you can well understand that being a truck driver is an extremely responsible job.  You have to be watchful while driving a track so that you can prevent the most common hazards.