Given Illinois’ central location, it is understandable that the state’s roadways see plenty of activity from commercial trucks, but that does not make sharing the road with them any safer for today’s motorists. While semi-trucks present certain hazards simply because they are so large and can prove difficult to see or maneuver around, they can prove even more dangerous, and in some cases, downright deadly, when their drivers behave negligently behind the wheel. Substance abuse among truckers is of particular concern for many drivers, and if you count yourself among them, it may surprise you just how common this behavior is among today’s trucking professionals.
According to the American Addiction Centers, substance abuse among semi-truck drivers is so common nowadays that, in a series of 36 studies involving truckers, more than 90 percent of them admitted to drinking alcohol while on the job. Meanwhile, more than 80 percent of those surveyed acknowledged abusing amphetamines such as meth while behind the wheel, while more than 8 percent admitted to abusing cocaine while on the clock.
While there are a number of different factors that make today’s truck drivers more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs, much of the behavior may stem from the loneliness many truckers experience and the long hours they log on the roads. Amphetamine and cocaine use, specifically, may come from a desire to log as many hours or miles as possible, while some truckers then turn to alcohol in an effort to combat the effects of amphetamines when they want to sleep.
Abuse of any substance, however, has the capacity to lead to a catastrophic accident when the person abusing it sits behind the wheel of a semi-truck, so it is wise to exercise care anytime you encounter large trucks on the roadway. You can find more about truck accidents by visiting our webpage.