Should We Care About How Loneliness Affects the Health of Truck Drivers?

TYLER and LONGVIEW, Texas. Loneliness can have a real impact on your health. All of us are susceptible to feeling lonely from time to time. And it is important to note that there is a definite difference between loneliness and solitude. Solitude can be restorative, while loneliness involves social isolation and can occur even when people are in a group setting.

While we all feel lonely from time to time, there are some professions that come with increased risks of loneliness. Truck driving is often noted as a notoriously lonely profession. According to the New York Times, loneliness can raise stress levels, which can lead to inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and even increase a person’s risk of suicide. Depression associated with loneliness has not only been associated with cognitive decline, but it has also been linked to a greater risk of Alzheimer’s.

Loneliness has also been linked to disrupted sleep.

Why should this matter to the general population? Disrupted sleep or cognitive decline in a truck driver can impact the driver’s ability to function behind the wheel. This can, in turn, lead to difficulty driving, truck accidents, and other problems. When truck drivers get into crashes, the people most often impacted are those riding in the passenger vehicles. Truck accidents pose a real risk not only to truck driver’s health but also to the general public.

So, what can truck companies and drivers do to decrease loneliness and improve driver safety? Truck drivers can counter loneliness and its health-destroying affects by finding ways to connect. Something as simple as picking up the phone (while not driving, of course) can make a difference, writes one columnist for the New York Times.

Truck drivers do have places on the road where they can meet up with fellow drivers. Fostering and prioritizing these communities and even building these stops into driver’s schedules can not only help them meet federal hours of service laws, but also encourage drivers to stop and socialize. However, some drivers note that many states don’t have sufficient truck or rest stops. The very states that want safer roads may not always be making it easier for drivers to find places to stop and rest.

Rest is more than just sleeping. It involves taking time to focus on what matters. What matters? Social connection, friendships, and doing things you enjoy without pressure. Truck drivers deserve these breaks just as we all do on the job.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident, you may have important rights under the law. The Cooper Law Firm are truck accident lawyers in Tyler and Longview, Texas. By holding truck companies accountable when truck drivers get into accidents, victims and families can help raise awareness and possibly bring about change. If you or a loved one has been hurt, reach out to our truck accident lawyers at https://www.cooper-law-firm.com/tyler-texas-truck-accident-lawyer/ today.

Cooper Law Firm

501 N Third St,

Longview, TX 75601

Telephone: (903) 297-0037