Many truck accidents occur in Tennessee, leaving the victims in the passenger vehicles coping with catastrophic injuries and sometimes psychological trauma. Unfortunately, many of these accidents are the fault of the truck drivers with some driving drunk, some speeding and others driving drowsy.
A lot of truckers will drink coffee to stay awake, but according to a new study, it seems that excessively drinking it over the long term has an adverse effect on health and raises the risk for a crash. This study was conducted by a transport safety expert from Loughborough University Design School together with the Virginia Tech Transport Institute. The findings were as follows.
High coffee drinkers more likely to crash
The study involved just over 3,000 truck drivers from eight different states. These were chosen because of their coffee-drinking habits. Included were those who drink only one cup a day as well as those who consume over five cups daily. When asked if they had been in a crash in the last three years, 21.6% of the low coffee drinkers and 27.8% of the high coffee drinkers said yes.
The high coffee drinkers also tended to report poor overall health. Many admitted to getting poor sleep, eating an unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking more alcohol. Though researchers could not prove that high coffee consumption is behind all of this, the connection might be made clearer in future studies.
Why future studies are needed
There are many variables to factor in. For example, coffee is not the only caffeinated beverage that truckers will use. Consumption levels will differ between work days and days of rest. Researchers also want to know where caffeine’s “tipping point” is where its consumption leads to unhealthy behavior.
A lawyer to address your concerns
Victims of truck collisions may be left wondering what to do to seek compensation. If you were the victim of negligence, then you may be entitled to damages, but without a lawyer, filing a claim might be difficult. You may want to request a legal evaluation of your case.
