Because of the long, stressful hours that truck drivers in New Mexico have to work, they often experience fatigue as a total physical and mental exhaustion. Truckers are not entirely helpless, though. The following are a few tips that big rig drivers can take to heart in order to stay more alert on the road.
Sufficient sleep to increase attention
If truckers are not achieving the recommended six to eight hours of sleep a night, they should make up for this with a nap or two during the day. It certainly has a positive impact on military pilots and astronauts. According to a NASA study, these professionals improve their performance by 34% and become 100% more alert when they take a 40-minute nap.
Rethinking what one eats and drinks
Truckers should eat nutritious foods, which give the body greater energy. This means avoiding fast food and snacks that provide a momentary sugar rush but afterward leave one more tired than before. The National Institutes for Health suggests chicken and tuna sandwiches rather than hamburgers and bagels instead of donuts.
Next, truckers must drink water and avoid alcohol as well as too much caffeine. Dehydration is known to cause fatigue in addition to muscle cramps and headaches. Besides preventing this, water cushions the joints and protects the spinal cord, contributing to overall physical health and alertness.
What to do after a truck accident
When drowsiness is behind truck collisions, those injured through no fault of their own can seek compensation from the trucking company. This is a complicated procedure, so you may want a lawyer to assist with your case. Personal injury lawyers usually have a network of third parties, such as crash investigators and medical professionals, who can help gather evidence against the trucker. Lawyers normally handle the settlement negotiations, too.
