A Study: Fatigue While Driving
Many people feel tired in the morning and, perhaps, need a cup of coffee (or two) to wake up. Some people might even feel groggy when they get in their car to drive to work. While many people accept this as a reality of the morning commute, this actually places other people on the road at risk. When people are tired, they don’t react as quickly to changing road conditions. They might even fall asleep behind the wheel altogether, causing them to lose control of their vehicle. According to statistics that have been published by Sleep Education:
- Drowsy driving was implicated in about 6 percent of all accidents involving a car that needed to be towed away.
- About 13 percent of crashes resulting in inpatient hospitalization was due to drowsy driving.
- Driving while tired was responsible for about 7 percent of all injuries sustained in car accidents.
These statistics show that driving while tired is a serious problem. Another study echoed these startling results.
A Study on Tired Driving
Recently, a series of case reports were published detailing just how dangerous it is to drive while tired. In the study, researchers found that:
- Around 56,000 car accidents every year are due to driving while tired.
- Fatigue contributes to more than one-fifth of all car accidents.
- Drowsy driving also contributes to around 15 percent of near-miss accidents.
- More than 1,500 people are killed every year due to driving tired.
As people get tired, their reflexes slow down. Their judgment wanes. All of this places not only themselves but others at risk as well.
Preventing Fatigued Driving
There are a few steps that people can take to reduce their chances of being involved in an accident. Some of these include:
- Avoid driving late at night.
- Try to get to bed earlier to reduce morning fatigue.
- Pull off on the side of the road if fatigue sets in.
- Try to avoid turning on the heat in the car, which can cause people to fall asleep.
- Never drink and drive.
By taking steps to avoid fatigued driving, everyone can reduce their chances of being involved in an auto accident.
Watch YouTube Video: How Can We Prevent Falling Asleep at the Wheel? The video below discusses a new technology that might help combat drowsy driving.
Contacting a Personal Injury Law Office
If a loved one is involved in a serious car accident, particularly one that leads to injuries, it is normal to have questions and concerns about what happens next. Families can feel a large amount of stress, particularly financial and emotional, that they might need help handling. Under these circumstances, families should know that it is helpful to meet with a car accident lawyer in Sacramento. An experienced attorney has been through this before and has the resources available to provide assistance. A lawyer can help you recover financial compensation from an at-fault driver. You can submit for reimbursement of your medical bills (past and future), loss of income (past and future), pain and suffering and more.
Sacramento Auto Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a car accident injury lawyer in Sacramento. Falling asleep behind the wheel can lead to a serious accident that could even involve fatalities. If someone you care about has developed complications due to injuries from a serious auto accident, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
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Image Attribution: The photo at the start of this article is seen in its original form on Unsplash. The image has been reproduced here with permission/A Study: Fatigue While Driving.
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