A large number of truck accidents can be traced back to the overall health of the driver at the time of the accident. The trucking profession is not generally known for the high standards of fitness members are required to maintain. After all, with their long hours and frequent stops at unhealthy roadside fast food stalls, health related problems in the profession have long been regarded the norm. A new reality TV show, in fact is aiming to change all that. Country Music Television is featuring a line up of real life truckers who are being put on a strict diet and exercise schedule to slice off the pounds and makeover their stressed out and overworked lives.

It’s not hard to figure out the connection between poor trucker health and the number of truck related accidents on the roads. Obesity can contribute greatly to sleep apnea, a condition in which a person may stop breathing during sleep for as long as 10 seconds. Sleep apnea manifests itself in other symptoms like drowsiness in the daytime, fatigue and forgetfulness – all potentially lethal symptoms when you consider the person might be driving an 80,000 pound big rig. Overweight truckers also suffer from driver fatigue, another major cause of truck accidents.

The correlation between poor truck health and the increasing number of big rig accidents hasn’t been lost on the powers that be. California Senator Diane Feinstein recently called for greater efforts to be made to address common problems like driver fatigue that could be responsible for the recent rise in big rig accidents. Among other things, she proposes on-board computers that automatically log when a driver is driving so he doesn’t drive for more than his stipulated 14 hours a day and 10 hours of driving non stop.

In California, most of the major trucking companies are located in the Ontario, Fontana and Colton areas. Already an Iowa based trucking company is offering its drivers a new health plan that includes fitness and nutrition coaching as well as tests to determine the existence of conditions like sleep apnea. Efforts like these are commendable, and signify a deep rooted commitment to decreasing the likelihood of truck accidents. One hopes California’s trucking companies will also follow suit.

A truck accident can cause substantial damage to the vehicles involved besides resulting in massive personal injuries and death. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, contact the California truck accident lawyers at The Reeves Group. Initial consultation is free and you don’t pay unless we win a settlement for you.