Drug and alcohol use is a widespread problem within the trucking community. One Tennessee driver recently lost his ability to operate a commercial vehicle due to a persistent drunk driving problem.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported that in February, the driver in question was found sleeping in his truck’s cabin in a hotel parking lot. When he was tested, police found that he had alcohol in his system. He was arrested for DUI as well as domestic assault. That was on December 31. On January 2, the driver was released from jail. That night, he was involved in another incident. While driving his truck drunk, the driver jackknifed his truck, causing a multi-car accident that forced three other cars off the road. Once again, the driver tested positive for alcohol. These two incidents within a four-day span came only a couple months after the driver received his commercial driver’s license.
DRUNK DRIVING STATS
Drunk driving is one of the main causes of motor vehicle accidents in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that there are 28 drunk driving-related deaths in the United States every day – more than one every hour. In 2014, more than one-third of fatal motor vehicle accidents involved alcohol and drugs.
While drunk driving in passenger cars is problematic enough, when a truck driver is drunk, there is a serious danger to all other drivers (not to mention the trucker). Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 lbs., and at highway speeds are essentially giant metal missiles. The injuries that result from truck accidents are often catastrophic, even fatal. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, a free consultation with a personal injury attorney can help you determine the best path moving forward.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4