Truckers in Pennsylvania often face grueling hours behind the wheel. They might work as many as 70 hours in eight days, and their weariness too often contributes to truck accidents. At least 100,000 crashes every year happen because truckers get sleepy. A new technology company founded by recent university graduates plans to help truckers with safety glasses that measure their blinks. The glasses would alert drivers when their blinking patterns indicate drowsiness.

The company’s CEO said that yawning, head tilting and blinks provide reliable warning signs about someone losing focus and nodding off. He described the glasses as an improvement upon in-cab cameras that monitor drivers. The glasses perform with greater accuracy and intrude upon truckers less than cameras.

Testing of the glasses has begun with a pilot program that involves five trucking companies. The company’s founders hope that the testing results will allow them to scale their product for widespread adoption. The CEO said that the wearable fatigue detectors could improve safety. This might lower insurance rates for transport companies.

Because of the prevalence of truck driver fatigue, a person seriously hurt in a truck accident might want to know the cause of the crash. Negligent actions, such as truckers working too many hours, poor truck maintenance or reckless driving, may justify a personal injury lawsuit. The representation of an attorney might aid this process. An attorney may study the insurance policy for the trucking company and the police accident report. Evidence about the person’s current and future medical bills may be assembled and included in court filings to justify a settlement amount. The advocacy of an attorney might enable someone to receive sufficient compensation to overcome financial hardships like lost pay and future disability.