Drowsy drivers increase the danger of a car accident

On Behalf of | Dec 1, 2015 | Car Accidents |

There are many dangers on the road in Florida including the possibility of a driver operating the person’s vehicle under the influence, behaving as a negligent driver or other issues that can result in a car accident. One problem that is not often considered as a common risk is a driver who is too drowsy to be driving. Studies have looked into this problem and new research compiled by AAA states that as many as two out of every five drivers get behind the wheel while drowsy.

In their study, approximately 43 percent of drivers in the United States confessed to either nodding off or falling asleep behind the wheel at least once in their lives. Due to this information, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is trying to help drivers to understand the importance of being fully awake and alert while driving. Recently, the NHTSA had the National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week at which the statistics of people driving while drowsy were shown and its dangers were addressed.

The administrator of the NHTSA approximated that between 5,000 and 7,000 people are killed every year due to drowsy drivers. Statistics showed that around 39.5 percent of investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding highway crashes between the years 2001 and 2012 involved fatigue as a contributor to the crash. For all major investigations by the NTSB, 20 percent involved fatigue. Another study by AAA in 2010 suggested that one of six accidents involving a fatality was due to drowsy driving.

The new study said that nearly 40 percent of drivers between the ages of 19 and 24 admitted to having problems keeping their eyes open while driving at least one time over the prior month. This age group is at the highest risk for these incidents. In the same time period, nearly 32 percent of drivers were lacking in sleep.

Although there are studies dedicated to educating drivers on the dangers of drowsy driving, that does not mean that the problem will be eliminated. There are numerous reasons for an auto accident and it can lead to serious injury or a fatality. Those who were injured in a car accident need to understand how to pursue litigation with help from an experienced legal professional.

Source: WTOP, “Wake-up call: Alarming number of motorists confess to drowsy driving,” Nov. 4, 2015

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