When it comes to tractor-trailers, the potential for devastating accidents exists for even the smallest errors. These trucks can weigh thousands of pounds and travel dozens of miles per hour – and for those who paid attention in middle school science, that funny little formula for inertia tells us that tractor-trailers can pack a punch. One lapse in attention by the driver can lead to an accident. One faulty nut or bolt can cause a high-speed breakdown. One insecure strap could spill thousands of pounds of cargo into the roadway.
But there are other, more sinister reasons for tractor-trailer accidents. In 2015, a truck in Chattanooga plowed through a construction zone at 80 miles per hour, causing a crash involving seven vehicles and 18 people. The truck showed no signs of slowing down despite ample warning of the construction zone. After an investigation, it was discovered that not only had the driver not gotten sustained rest in 40 hours, but he also tested positive for methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine use was not a one-time thing. Two years earlier, the driver of the truck had been fired due to illegal drug use. Less than three months before the crash, the driver tested positive for meth during an unrelated drug test. The employer failed to screen the driver properly; he should not have been driving a truck.
DRUGGED DRIVING, SEMI-TRUCKS, AND WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ACCIDENT
Some truck drivers use drugs out of habit. Others do so in order to stay awake during long hauls or to keep themselves entertained during the sometimes monotonous task of trucking. But no matter what the reasons, impaired driving is illegal and puts the lives of every person that driver comes across in danger. A truck accident injury attorney can assist you if you have been injured due to a drugged semi-truck driver.
Isaiah 46:4, “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.”