Drowsy driving can impair alertness, attentiveness, judgment, and reaction-time, and some studies show that sleep-deprivation within even a 48-hour period can result in these impairments. We are indeed learning just how risky fatigue can be while driving, as a National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study (NMVCCS) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finds that drivers who are drowsy/fatigued have more than twice the risk of making errors as drivers who are not.
Here are some common factors of drowsy driving accidents, according to accident experts:
- While drowsy driving occurs at all times of the day and night, the resulting accidents occur mostly between midnight and 6 a.m.; the second-most common time is the late afternoon.
- In many of these accidents, the driver is driving alone with no passengers.
- A significant percentage of drowsy driving accidents involve only one vehicle.
- Most drowsy driving accidents occur on highways and rural roads.
While officials continue to expand their tracking of statistics related to fatigued driving, precise numbers for these accidents year-by-year are still difficult to determine, partially due to a lack of tracking in the past. However, the NHTSA estimates that “DWD crashes” (“driving while drowsy”) resulted in 846 fatalities in 2014, averaging more than two per day, and more recent and precise statistics for 2016 may be expected next year.
Drowsy/fatigued driving is a form of driver negligence, as the driver is failing to fulfill his/her duty of care to other drivers by, generally speaking, not being of sound mind and body while operating a vehicle on public roads.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident due to another driver’s negligence, contact America’s Consumer Lawyer for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you.
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