ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHIFT WORKERS: DRIVING AT NIGHT

Do you know what diurnal means? Probably not. It is not a word we use often. It means of the day or daytime. Humans are diurnal. We live our lives mostly during the day and we sleep and rest at night.

We are not nocturnal, a word you may have heard more often. It means living your life at night. Bats are a good example. They rest during the day and come out at night. If you have ever watched one of those nature shows with lemurs moving around tree limbs at night, you know what nocturnal is.

When a human is forced to live and work at night, it is disruptive. There are human endeavors that need to be done at night but it is always done at a loss in efficiency and awareness. It is not easy to be nocturnal when you are naturally diurnal.

This is especially a problem when you have to function very effectively outside or your natural sleep/work rhythm.

This problem is brought home to shift workers, people who must work at night and sleep or rest during the day. They have a hard time maintaining good sleep and eating habits. This becomes a more serious problem when a person's activities outside of the norm can seriously affect the safety of others.

Many truck drivers are shift workers. They have to work at night when their bodies want to work during the day. They are working at night often with 80,000 pounds of vehicle and load in their charge. They have to get that vehicle and goods from one place to another after dark.

Naturally, this can lead to serious problems for those who share the road with shift drivers. If these problems ever affect you, contact us immediately.

The Young Firm in New Orleans understands the serious nature of automobile and truck accidents and the injuries that can result. Our firm will investigate the causes of any accident and pursue appropriate legal action.

Call a Louisiana car and truck accident attorney today at (866) 660-7220 for a free and confidential consultation if you have been involved in a car accident or an accident with a truck.