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Alcohol, Drug Abuse
and Trucking
Drug and alcohol testing is
a fact of life in trucking today. Drivers with a commercial driver license (CDL)
are subject to it, as are truck owner-operators with a CDL, and motor carriers
who employ drivers with a CDL must have a testing program.
A study by the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety of interstate
tractor-trailer drivers found that 15% of all drivers had marijuana, 12% had
non-prescription stimulants, 5% had prescription stimulants, 2% had cocaine, and
fewer than 1% had alcohol in their systems.
Alcohol Use
A
driver does not necessarily have to be intoxicated to be impaired by alcohol.
Even at low BAC levels, alcohol impairs driving performance by reducing the
driver's reaction time and slowing his or her decisionmaking process.
Recognizing the threat to the public safety associated with even moderate
drinking and driving by transportation workers, the Federal government prohibits
commercial truck drivers, railroad and mass transit workers, marine employees,
and aircraft pilots from operating their vehicles with a BAC at or greater than
0.04 percent.
While once a
rampant problem, and contributing factor in a high percentage of trucking
accidents, driver intoxication has been effectively controlled through stringent
monitoring and enforcement by the Department of Transportation.
See:
Federal Regulations on Alcohol and Substance Abuse
The statistics show that only about 1-3% of truck accidents are caused by
alcohol use by the truck driver. However,
truck driver fatigue though does play an important role in truck accidents,
with more than 30% of all truck accidents caused due to truckers driving without
taking enough rest and getting the required amount of sleep.
Marijuana
While many drivers believe that drugged driving is safer than drunk driving, in
reality, marijuana can affect concentration, perception and reaction time up to
24 hours after it’s smoked says the federal director of drug policies, John
Walters. That’s much, much longer than alcohol can affect behavior.
In a 1990 report, the National Transportation Safety Board studied 182
fatal truck accidents. It found that 12.5% of the accidents were caused by
drivers using marijuana.
A New England Journal of Medicine report on drivers without alcohol in
their systems who were stopped by police for reckless driving found that 45% had
marijuana and 25% had cocaine in their systems.
Marijuana is not safe for truck drivers or those who share the road with them.
Methamphetamine
Despite Federal regulations that limit the hours they can drive in a
single day, truck drivers are constantly looking for ways to stay awake longer,
drive farther, and make more money. Seventeen out of 20 truck drivers
inter-viewed by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) said that meth
is easy to get at truck stops.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says that people in occupations (such as
long-haul truckers) that demand long hours, mental alertness, and physical
endurance, have been using Methamphetamine at
increased rates.
The use of stimulants by truck drivers to combat fatigue is fairly common.
Surveys and roadside tests indicate that about one in five drivers use
stimulants on at least some trips, although it seems their use has reduced since
the early 1990s.
Truck drivers and truck carriers are responsible for the safe operation of
commercial vehicles on our highways. While more stringent alcohol and drug
guidelines, along with more effective enforcement, have helped to curb drunken
driving the effects of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs are increasing.
Related Information:
Federal Regulations on Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Trucking Articles
 Has a
Trucking Accident Occurred?
Munley, Munley & Cartwright, PC accepts and successfully resolves major
trucking injury cases nationwide. Our lawyers, paralegals, and other
professionals are specially trained to evaluate, develop, and negotiate
these difficult cases to protect and benefit our clients. You do not pay any
fee unless we win money damages for you. That means you can get the most
experienced legal help and it won't cost one dime more than you would pay
any other firm -- and we get RESULTS!
The goal of Munley, Munley & Cartwright is simple and direct: To
Successfully Resolve the Legal Problems of our Clients.
If you have questions about an accident involving a tractor trailer, let
us go to work for you.
You can
contact the trucking attorneys of Munley, Munley & Cartwright for a free consultation
by completing our
online accident evaluation form
-or- calling toll-free at
1-800-318-LAW1.
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