When you are sharing the road with a large truck, you hope and pray that the trucker driving the 80,000 pound vehicle next to you hasn’t consumed any alcoholic drinks. But what if you found out that the driver hasn’t had anything to drink—not even water? According to a recent study conducted at Loughborough University in England, not drinking water is like drinking alcohol.
Unfortunately, a lot of truck drivers don’t drink enough water on the road because they don’t want to stop—not even for bathroom breaks. This is because many truckers have compensation plans that encourage them to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. When something takes a trucker off the road, it is costing him or her money, which is why many truck drivers forgo water.
When truck drivers don’t drink enough water, they may suffer from dehydration. And mild dehydration is the same as driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the researchers. Drivers who are mildly dehydrated make judgment and performance errors that are similar to drivers with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent.
The study revealed that drivers who were mildly dehydrated made 101 driving mistakes, up from 47 driving errors when they were normally hydrated. These types of driving errors included late braking, lane drifting, and crossing the center line or rumble strip. Unfortunately, any one of these errors could lead to a collision.
Not only is it dangerous for truck drivers to be on the road when they are dehydrated, but it is risky for all motorists to drive when they haven’t had adequate water. In fact, dehydration can lead to tiredness and dizziness, which can also be factors in collisions.
As accident attorneys who have seen people’s lives drastically changed due to needless traffic crashes, we encourage you to drink enough water and stay hydrated so you can drive smart and safe. Also, we urge you to share this blog with those you know on Facebook to bring attention to this matter.
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