{"id":2105,"date":"2013-11-20T07:09:45","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T07:09:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healyscanlon.devser.net\/?p=2105"},"modified":"2019-11-08T11:25:34","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T11:25:34","slug":"truck-accidents-does-the-whole-trucking-industry-need-to-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healyscanlon.com\/truck-accidents-does-the-whole-trucking-industry-need-to-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Truck accidents: Does the whole trucking industry need to change?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Earlier this week, we wrote about a fatal truck accident that killed an Illinois State Police trooper. That accident, which occurred last March, occurred because the young truck driver involved nodded off behind the wheel. He had allegedly worked a shift that was several hours longer than the limit under federal law.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0truck driver fatigue\u00a0<\/a>is certainly a frequent cause of truck accidents, drug and alcohol use also commonly play a role. But what makes truck drivers engage in such dangerous behaviors and use such dangerous substances? Both problems may be related to the same root cause, which is the way that truck drivers are paid and incentivized.<\/p>\n

Last month, a study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine examined what percentage of truck drivers engage in alcohol\/substance abuse behind the wheel. Similarly, researchers examined what type of work characteristics were more closely associated with drivers who drink\/use on the job.<\/p>\n

The review was actually an analysis of 36 previous studies with data from a number of countries. Based on the data studied, there seems to be little agreement on how prevalent drug\/alcohol abuse are among truck drivers.<\/p>\n

However, at least 12 of the studies were focused on the factors that make truckers more likely to use drugs on the job. According to the results, truckers are at a higher risk of abusing drugs if:<\/p>\n