This recent article from the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/17/business/truckers-resist-rules-on-sleep-despite-risks-of-drowsy-driving.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw&_r=0 discusses how sleep-deprived truck drivers continue to knowingly violate federal laws regarding driving hours, resulting in an alarming number of serious and fatal crashes each year. Despite efforts by the federal government to ensure that truck drivers get adequate rest, the trucking industry continues to disregard these laws because more miles on the road means higher profits. Drowsy driving is the leading cause of crashes and highway fatalities. Each year 30,000 people die on our highways across the country. Recently, a Walmart truck driver whose tractor trailer slammed into a van carrying comedian Tracy Morgan, critically injuring him and killing another passenger, had not slept in more than twenty-four hours according to the prosecutors on the case. Our truck accident attorneys at Rourke & Blumenthal has represented many families who have lost loved ones because a truck driver fell asleep behind the wheel after being on the road too long. Their lives were changed forever because a trucking company was trying to make a little extra money. As drivers, we all need to be vigilant and alert for trucks while on the highway, because you never know how long that trucker has been on the road without rest.
