Increased Regulations For Commercial Drivers Have Not Improved Safety

There’s no question that driver fatigue poses a serious threat to safety on our nation’s roadways. But just how bad is the threat? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 100,000 fatigue-related crashes occur each year, many of which involve professional drivers in heavy commercial vehicles. That means an average of 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary damages each year as a result of fatigue-related accidents. So what is being done to prevent fatigued commercial drivers — specially licensed, professional operators of 18 wheelers, buses and other large commercial vehicles — from getting behind the wheel while they’re tired or fatigued?