Addiction affects millions of Americans across Connecticut and the rest of the United States, and for a number of reasons, commercial truck drivers are often especially vulnerable to the struggles associated with alcohol or drug addiction. At the Law Offices of John J. LaCava, LLC, we recognize that, when truck drivers choose to use while on the job, they pose a massive threat to everyone they come across. We have also seen firsthand just how catastrophic the repercussions can be when cars and commercial trucks collide.
According to the American Addiction Centers, today’s truckers live solitary lifestyles, and these long, lonely stints on the road can make them more inclined to abuse substances. Some truck drivers use alcohol or drugs to help fight the boredom that comes with logging long hours on the road, while others due so out of loneliness. Others, yet, abuse certain substances known to temporarily increase alertness, whether because they want to finish a job faster or they need to stay awake longer.
Whatever their reasons, entirely too many commercial truck drivers are turning to drugs and alcohol while at the wheel. The results of one study, for example, showed that the United States has more truckers abusing alcohol than any nation in the world, with about 12.5% of truckers testing positive for alcohol.
Another series of studies conducted over a 13-year span, meanwhile, spotlighted an even more alarming trend. Up to 91% of truck drivers who participated in the studies said they drank alcohol on the job, while about 82% acknowledged using amphetamines to get through long shifts.
This copy regarding substance abuse in the trucking industry is educational in nature and not a form of legal advice.
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