Working as a long haul truck driver is a big responsibility, where you’re managing a large vehicle whilst ensuring the proper delivery of important goods and services. This lifestyle can have a broad appeal, allowing you to get out on the open road and enjoy your own company on a daily basis.
But there are also risks attached to long distance driving, as it can be difficult to manoeuvre such a heavy vehicle in comparison to a more nimble passenger car. Another major threat to your safety is tiredness, where this can compromise your ability to drive safely.
Read on to find out more about how a lack of sleep can put your safety and the wellbeing of those around you at risk.
Slow Reaction Times
If you’ve not had a healthy amount of sleep, then this will impact your reaction times out on the road. With a similar impact as if you were drunk driving, tiredness means you won’t react properly to hazards, where you may also drift across lanes and brake at a delayed pace.
Reduced Visibility
Drowsiness naturally impacts your visibility when driving, as you could be experiencing moments of head nodding or even microsleeps. According to a survey from Direct Line, one in three UK drivers admit to experiencing periods of microsleep whilst out on the road.
Poor Decision Making
Another problem with being tired whilst driving is that it impacts your ability to make reasonable decisions. This includes your ability to evaluate hazards such as pedestrians crossing or slowed vehicles. Decisions such as braking or accelerating will happen slower if you’re fatigued, which can result in accidents.
Collisions
In the worse case scenario, your moments of fatigue out on the road could lead to a collision.
According to road safety charity Brake, between 10 and 20% of road collisions and crashes are thought to be the result of driver fatigue. If this is a fatal accident or if you inflict injuries on another party then you may have to face prosecution.
Transcare: Experienced Vehicle Fleet Management To Help You Drive Safely
At Transcare, lorry safety is our top priority, where our team works to provide numerous mobile repair units and fast response vehicles to keep your truck in top condition. In addition to taking regular breaks while driving, it is also important to keep your tachograph in check, where this vital piece of equipment monitors your driving to ensure you’re not over extending your time on the road.
We can deliver fully authorised tachograph calibrations alongside wheel alignments, air conditioning repairs and diagnostics – simply contact us today to find out more about how we can help.
