When IoT platform provider Samsara initiated a “data deep dive” focused on modern trends in driver-related safety behaviors, anyone who follows the news could have predicted some of the findings that would be revealed. For example, Samsara’s recent study confirmed that U.S. drivers have been engaging in aggressive driving behavior – including unsafe speeding – more frequently since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This revelation, alongside the continued prevalence of distracted driving behavior on U.S. roads, has been reported on many times over the past several months.
However, some of Samsara’s findings are far more surprising than those involving distracted driving and pandemic-inspired aggressive driving behavior. For example, the company has learned that commercial vehicle drivers – including long-haul truck operators – are far more likely to engage in negligent or reckless driving behaviors at either the beginning or ending of their work shifts. Additionally, a significant reduction in roadway congestion during the Covid-19 pandemic led to a 20 percent spike in the number of severe speeding infractions occurring each day involving commercial drivers.
Shift Changes Are a Dangerous Time for Commercial Drivers
Before drawing its conclusions, the team at Samsara analyzed more than two million incidents of high-risk driving behavior among commercial operators during 2020 and 2021. These incidents were measured using artificial intelligence gathering and g-force measurements. The company classifies the beginning of a shift as the first tenth of that shift and the ending as the last tenth of the shift (as compared to the “middle” eight tenths). The shifts analyzed varied in length from 2-12 hours.
According to the data collected, distracted driving, tailgating, harsh acceleration, harsh braking, and other aggressive and unsafe driving behaviors were more than 25% more likely to occur during the first tenth of a driver’s shift and more than 40% more likely to occur during the last tenth of a driver’s shift. One particularly startling statistic indicates that harsh acceleration (specifically) is more than 75% more likely to occur during the last tenth of a driver’s shift.
It is still unclear why these discrepancies are occurring, although there is evidence to suggest that drivers are more likely to be driving within cities – quite frequently – during the beginning and ending of their shifts, which may contribute to dangerous behaviors in ways that highway driving does not. Fatigue at the beginning and end of shifts may also play a significant role in these challenging trends. With that said, the aggressive driving behaviors prevalent at the beginning and ending of shifts notably occurred regardless of the length of those shifts in question, which makes the subject of fatigue one that is arguably more complex than it might seem at first glance. Are drivers just as fatigued when beginning and ending shorter shifts or is fatigue less of a factor in aggressive and dangerous driving behavior than has been previously assumed? The answers to these questions remain elusive – for now.
Why This Insight Matters
When accidents occur, injury victims aren’t always sure why their collisions occurred and who should be held accountable for them. This is one of the primary reasons why it is so important to connect with an experienced personal injury attorney in the wake of an accident. Reputable personal injury attorneys are constantly educating themselves about the latest safety data, trends, and regulations in order to better ensure that they know how to “spot” contributing factors and blame-worthy behaviors during an investigation.
The Samsara deep dive has illuminated a new piece of information that will serve both injury victims and their attorneys well in the wake of commercial vehicle accidents – Commercial drivers are more likely to engage in dangerous behavior at the beginning and end of their shifts. Why does this insight matter practically? There are two primary ways in which this information can be helpful in re: safety issues moving forward. First, it can inspire the trucking industry to pay special attention to this concern during training and when drafting safety protocols in an effort to correct this trend for the better. Second, it can inspire personal injury attorneys to pay closer attention to the possibility that a commercial driver may have been engaging in reckless or negligent behavior leading up to an accident if that accident occurred at the beginning or end of that driver’s shift.
Legal Assistance Is Available
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you likely have one or more opportunities for compensation available to you at this time. If you were engaged in work-related activities at the time of your collision, you are likely entitled to pursue workers’ compensation benefits. Although this form of compensation is made available on a no-fault basis (with very, very few exceptions) to eligible workers, getting your claim paid at a fair value and in a timely manner can be challenging. Our firm can help to ensure that your claim is complete, properly supported, and as likely as possible to be accepted and paid out properly “the first time.” But, should your claim become subject to red tape and rejection or devaluation for any reason, our highly-experienced team can help to right the situation.
Additionally, if you are in a position to file a personal injury claim, our knowledgeable and dedicated team can build the strongest possible case on your behalf. Even if you were partially at-fault for your collision, California’s “pure comparative negligence” approach to the rights of motor vehicle crash victims ensures that you can hold any others involved responsible for any negligent, reckless, or intentionally dangerous conduct that served as a substantial factor in the causation of your injuries. We’ll be able to explain how these standards apply to your situation uniquely during a free, risk-free consultation. Once you feel ready to make informed decisions about your options, we’ll provide you with the comprehensive legal support you require to maximize your compensation. We look forward to speaking with you.
