Of all the things that you might expect to be underlying causes of truck accidents, would you have ever blamed coffee? Coffee, with its high caffeine content, has long been a trucker’s friend when they’re trying to stay alert on the road. However, a new study indicates that the long-term consumption of high doses of caffeine can actually contribute to truck accidents.
The study examined more than 3,000 truckers in eight states. Among the drivers who drank a single cup of coffee each day, 21.6% admitted to being in an accident within the past three years. Among those drivers who drank more than five cups of coffee each day, 27.8% indicated they’d been in a wreck during that time.
Drivers who consumed an excessive amount of caffeine also reported having more difficulty sleeping, bigger alcohol and nicotine habits, worse diets and overall poorer health than drivers who drank less caffeine. That may indicate that too much coffee is part of a generally unhealthy lifestyle — although the results are definitely curious.
Coffee probably shouldn’t shoulder the blame alone for excessive caffeine consumption, since tea, cola, energy drinks, chocolate and over-the-counter stimulant pills can also hike up the level of caffeine in a driver’s system. Nor is the short-term consumption of large amounts of caffeine associated with a greater risk of danger.
Truck accidents can have many contributing factors, and it isn’t always easy to figure out who is responsible for a wreck. That’s why it’s so important to have an experienced attorney examine your case if you’re injured in a crash with a truck driver and determine who can and should be held liable.