A truck driver may spend hours traveling Arizona highways before fatigue starts affecting reaction time and judgment. A driver who struggles to stay alert may miss a traffic signal, drift into another lane or fail to react to a stopped vehicle. These mistakes can have serious consequences when they involve a large commercial truck.
How fatigue can lead to a truck crash
Arizona saw 1,595 drivers involved in crashes in 2024 where law enforcement identified falling asleep or fatigue as a factor. Ten of those drivers were involved in fatal crashes.
Fatigue does more than make a driver feel tired. It can slow reactions, affect judgment and make it harder to notice hazards. Arizona’s commercial driver’s license manual notes that fatigue can affect a driver’s ability to judge speed and distance and react to hazards.
Long trips can increase these risks, especially when drivers travel during overnight hours or continue driving after becoming tired. Arizona’s truck parking plan also identifies driver fatigue as a contributing factor in crashes along major corridors, including I-10 and I-40.
What can show that fatigue played a role?
Determining whether fatigue contributed to a truck crash may require looking beyond the crash scene. Several types of records can provide useful details about the driver’s schedule and condition, including:
- Hours-of-service records showing driving and rest periods
- Driver logs and electronic logging device data
- Dispatch records showing trip schedules and deadlines
- Police reports describing signs of fatigue
- Employment records showing work and driving schedules
These records can help show whether a driver had enough rest and whether fatigue may have contributed to the collision. Under federal rules, most commercial truck drivers carrying property can drive for no more than 11 hours during a 14-hour duty period after getting at least 10 consecutive hours off duty. They also must take a 30-minute rest break once they have accumulated 8 hours of driving time.
The rules also limit how much time drivers can spend on duty over several days. Depending on the carrier’s schedule, federal rules generally cap a driver’s on-duty time at 60 hours over seven consecutive days or 70 hours over eight days. Comparing those limits with electronic logging device data, driving logs and dispatch records may help show how long the driver worked and drove before the crash.
Given the number of records involved, legal assistance can help you identify relevant evidence and assess whether it supports a claim involving driver fatigue.
When fatigue becomes a factor
A tired truck driver can create risks that extend beyond missed exits or slow reactions. When fatigue contributes to a crash, records about driving hours, rest periods and the driver’s actions may help explain what happened and who may be responsible.
