A new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has shed light on an often overlooked hazard drivers face while on the road – sleepiness. People are undoubtedly familiar with the roadway dangers alcohol, texting, and other cell phone uses pose, but sleepiness is rarely included on that danger list.
The CDC study revealed that 1 out of 24 American drivers have acknowledged falling asleep at the wheel in the past month. The rates of drowsy drivers varied across states but the highest rate, 6.1%, was right here in Texas. Additionally the study showed that both men and younger adults had higher chances of driving despite feeling sleepy.
Sleepiness tends to slow a driver’s reaction time and impair his or her decision making at the wheel, often to the same extent that driving drunk does. Also while most people who fall asleep driving only do so for a couple of seconds at a time, a person driving at a typical highway speed of 60 mph travels almost 90 feet in one second. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that at least 2% of automobile crashes involve drowsy driving and has also stated that drowsy driving wrecks are more likely to have a fatal result.
The warning signs of sleepy driving are easy to recognize and include yawning, excessive blinking, drifting between lanes, and missing turns or exits. People like to believe that rolling down their windows, turning up their radio volume, or blasting the air conditioning will keep them awake but these are only temporary fixes. The only real remedy for dealing with fatigue at the wheel is pulling over somewhere to rest, and in today’s fast paced and work-heavy society people are becoming less likely to do that.
Although falling asleep while driving is not illegal like drunk driving it can still be considered negligent and a person can be held liable for injuries or damages resulting from it. If you are injured in an accident with a driver who fell asleep at the wheel Ben Bronston and Associates is here to help you recover for your injuries and damages caused by that driver’s negligence.
