Results of an investigation into the accident that seriously injured comedian Tracy Morgan last year has put a spotlight on the dangers of truck driver exhaustion. The accident, in which a Walmart truck struck a limousine van and left one passenger dead, was found to be caused by the truck driver's lack of sleep, having been awake for 28 hours straight. Labor experts point to the accident as emblematic of the hazards exhaustion poses not only to other vehicles, but to the truck drivers themselves, in terms of long-term health problems. Some say the problem has been worsened by the ongoing decline in union membership over the last decade, which has resulted in fewer safety provisions for drivers.
See "Trucker exhaustion poses grave danger to US motorists, say labor experts", Ned Resnikoff, August 14, 2015