Commercial Drivers are trusted to safely and properly operate large vehicles such as tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. After all, these massive vehicles travel next to much smaller passenger vehicles, and fatal injuries and accidents may result if a truck driver makes a simple mistake behind the wheel or loses control of the vehicle.

DWI penalties for regular vehicle can be harsh and may include hefty fines, jail time, license suspension, and much more. These penalties, however, are much more severe if you are driving a commercial vehicle such as a truck while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Truck drivers are held to much higher standards when it comes to BAC level, with a legal limit of .04 percent as opposed to the BAC limit of .08 percent for non-commercial drivers. A semi-truck careering down the road with an impaired driver behind the wheel is a disastrous accident waiting to happen. Unfortunately, drugs and alcohol continue to play a substantial role in the commercial trucking culture.

Over the years, studies have show that truck drivers regularly drink or consume drugs or alcohol while on the job or prior to their shifts. Regular toxicological tests and studies on truck drivers by the National Transportation Safety Board have shown that up to 35 percent of all truck drivers who die in trucking accidents test positive for some form of illegal drug. Among the substances most commonly used are alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine, and other stimulants - all of them substances that can potentially and significantly affect a driver’s abilities and possibly result in a DWI conviction.

According to research documented by the NTSB, drug usage by truck drivers is a major factor in both fatal and non-fatal accidents across the country, and is actually the second largest factor in truck accident causes. While most fatalities in trucking accidents involve passenger vehicles, a very high percentage of fatalities in truck drivers also exist when drug usage is involved.

Why do truck drivers use alcohol, marijuana, and stimulants such as cocaine while on the road? Many of them claim that stimulants help them stay awake longer and help them complete long driving shifts on the unending roads. Alcohol and marijuana, on the other hand, help many drivers deal with the loneliness, boredom, and even depression of spending long hours by themselves on the road.

In one study, it was revealed that 85 percent of the surveyed truck drivers found methamphetamines easily available at truck stops. The drug allowed the drivers to log in more miles, stay awake for a longer period of time, and deliver their cargo to their destination in a shorter amount of time.

Unfortunately, alcohol and drugs can result in the driver experiencing significant impairment of perception, judgment, coordination, cognitive behavior, balance, and overall driving ability. Drivers may also experience increased sleepiness, and even hallucinations.

With as many as 5,000 fatalities result from drug abuse by commercial truck drivers, it is clear that it is essential to enforce and continuously monitor the enforcement of all road rules that prohibit truck drivers from using alcohol or other drugs before getting behind the wheel.

Source: Truck Driver Usage and Truck Accidents, published