The state of Florida held its Drowsy Driving Awareness Week in early September, 2012, in honor of a little Tallahassee girl who died when a cement truck hit the vehicle she was riding in. Tragically, the truck driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
The Florida Department of Transportation reports that in 2011, drowsy drivers were involved in almost 3,000 road accidents in the state. In those crashes, 2,393 people were hurt and 21 died.
Not only are people at risk of falling asleep when they drive while too tired, but also their response times and alertness are dulled. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, after 24 hours of no sleep, a driver is as impaired as if he or she were over the legal limit for alcohol. Sometimes police pull over people thinking their driving patterns point to drunkenness, but instead they find overly tired drivers behind the wheel.
AAA also reports that drowsy-driving accidents happen most often during the night or in early morning, but a spike also occurs in the mid- to late afternoon because of natural fatigue cycles.
People become drowsy while driving for a number of reasons, the most obvious of which is sleep loss that could be caused simply by missing the necessary hours of rest or by sleep disorders. Other causes of fatigue can be medication, alcohol or illegal drug use.
Besides the obvious advice to get enough sleep, treat sleep disorders medically and avoid taking substances that cause fatigue, another good idea is not to drive alone on long road trips. Driving with a companion allows you to not only share driving responsibilities, but also help each other stay awake. Stay off the road altogether if you are obviously too tired to stay alert or awake. If you do travel, take regularly scheduled breaks to get fresh air, move around and even take cat naps. If necessary, check into a hotel and get the necessary sleep to arrive safely at your destination.
Certain physical symptoms should alert a driver to get off the road because of his or her fatigue level. These include constant yawning, trouble focusing visually, drifting out of your lane, suddenly realizing that you can’t remember the last stretch of road traveled, or actually falling asleep and waking up after having continued to steer the car down the road.
Some people are naturally at higher risk like those who work overnight or long shifts, over-the-road truckers and business travelers with jet lag. Younger drivers are also more at risk statistically.
As National Drowsy Driving Prevention Week approaches from Nov. 6 to 12, 2012, be aware of your level of alertness or fatigue before you get behind the wheel. If you or a loved one is unfortunate enough to be involved in a motor-vehicle accident with a sleepy driver, talk to an experienced personal injury attorney about your legal rights and options.
Article provided by Culpepper Kurland, PLLC
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