Personal Injury Lawyer
Many people are guilty of engaging in some kind of distracted driving behavior, whether that’s looking at their cell phone, eating and drinking, checking their GPS, and more. Another dangerous issue that many drivers are guilty of is driving while they are sleepy or fatigued.
When a person is exhausted, their reaction time is much slower than it should be. Many drivers in this condition often fail to make the right decisions while they are driving and are not as attentive to what is going on in the road. Drowsy driving spikes the risks a driver has of being in a crash and suffering or causing others injuries.
Statistics
According to national statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 25 adult drivers admit to falling asleep within the past 30 days of when they participated in the CDC’s survey.
In another survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, about half of all adult drivers admit to getting behind the wheel of their vehicles when they are drowsy on a consistent basis. And about 20 percent of drivers admit to falling asleep at some point while they were driving within the prior 12 months and 40 percent admitting it has occurred at least once in the years they have had their license.
The toll drowsy driving takes is horrific. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 300,000 drowsy driving accidents happen every year. Almost 110,000 of those crashes result in injuries and more than 6,000 people are killed each year in drowsy driving crashes. These statistics are more than 350 percent more than what is reported by law enforcement statistics.
Knowing the warning signs of drowsy driving can help you avoid crashing, as a car accident lawyer like Barry P. Goldberg, A Professional Law Corporation, can tell you. If a driver experiences any of the following, they should pull over to a safe area and get some rest.
- Driving from one lane to another and back again
- Swerving and hitting rumble strips on sides of roads
- Missing their exit or not realizing the last few miles they have driven
- Yawning repeatedly and having a hard time keeping their eyes open
Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys
Even if you take the correct safety precautions when you are feeling tired, statistics show that far too many other drivers fail to get off the road when they are fatigued. If you have been in a car accident caused by a fatigued driver, contact the car accident attorneys. Call our office to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation and find out how our legal team can help ensure your rights are protected and you get the financial compensation you deserve.